


Inktober - Rocket/Yondu Edition

by Verilidaine



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Ain't a fix-it nope not at all what are you talking about, Canon-Typical Violence, Crack at times, Did I really put Rocket/Mantis/Yondu up there oh my god, Dirty Talk, Emotional Constipation, Fluff, Guardians as a big happy family, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, M/M, More tags to come as I think of them I'm sure, Multi, Never really settle on the rules of Yondu's accent sorry, Okay so it's kind of a small series of what life would be if there was a fix-it, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, Rocket Raccoon/Mantis/Yondu Udonta, See each chapter for its own specific ratings warnings and tags, Swearing (applies to almost every chapter), what
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 20:17:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 28,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12565352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verilidaine/pseuds/Verilidaine
Summary: A collection of shorts done for the Inktober challenge, all of them featuring a post-GotG vol. 2 Rocket/Yondu where Yondu is not dead.  They do seem to exist in an AU to The Hour of Separation (because I'm weak and I gave into the fluff bunnies) but you don't have to read that one first to understand these.  Chapter titles are that day's prompt, and each chapter will have its own rating, warnings, and tags.  The ones for the whole piece are as "high" as they go, but they range from fluff to dark and General to Explicit.  Written as a daily writing challenge so they are less polished.





	1. Swift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: General  
> Warnings: None  
> Words: 368
> 
> Peter tries to gripe about Rocket and Yondu's relationship but accidentally shows his true intentions.

“Well, I mean, how am I supposed to introduce you two at home?” Peter complained.  
  
“ _That’s_ your biggest concern right now?” Rocket asked, rolling his eyes.  “What some idiots on a backwater--”  
  
“Hey, that’s my home you’re talking about!”  
  
“It’s a home you ain’t been to in a few decades,” Rocket pointed out.  
  
Peter slumped.  “Well maybe I want to,” he grumbled.  
  
“Sure, soon as I start datin’ your dad,” Rocket said.  “Figure hey, why not, I’ll drag ‘em out to Terra--”  
  
“Earth--”  
  
“ _Terra_ ,” Rocket insisted.  “I’ll drag ‘em out to Terra so they can feel like freaks, especially good ol’ Rocket Raccoon--”  
  
“That is _not_ what this is about!”  
  
“Then what _is_ it about?” Rocket snapped.  “You been nothin’ but antagonistic about everything, what makes this different!”  
  
“I just...” Peter sighed and rubbed at his face.  “I miss it, okay?  So I thought we could all visit, and you an’ Yondu ... I thought you might like it.  I’d like to see Missouri again, and there are some great places out there where you two could get away and not have to see anyone...” He fished around in his pocket.  “Like here, look--” He shoved his tablet at Rocket.  “--Here you get your own private fancy cabin and they even have people who go out and do your shopping and bring it back so you don’t have to leave!”  
  
Rocket held the tablet, looking between the pictures and Peter.  “Are ... you being sarcastic?” he finally asked.  
  
“No!”  Peter threw his hands up.  “I’m trying to be, I don’t know, nice?  Look, yeah, it’s weird.  So I thought maybe a trip of some kind would be good, be somewhere else, shake things up.  And, well, I’ve been wanting to visit Earth, and there’s a lot of cool things, like, there are these birds, right?  They’re called chimney swifts and they’re the coolest thing to watch, and our gliders always reminded me of them and you’d probably like watching them fly...”  He trailed off.  Rocket was staring at him.  “What!” he demanded.  
  
“Quill,” Rocket said, “You are _such_ a sap.”


	2. Divided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Warnings: None  
> Words: 175
> 
> In which Yondu gets pulled into an age-old debate and probably wonders if it was wise to start dating his son's best friend.

“Look, old man--”   
  
“Toldja not t’ call me that,” Yondu said between gritted teeth.   
  
“ _Old man_ ,” Rocket insisted.  “You act old, I’ll call you old.”   
  
“I ain’t actin’ old!”   
  
“Yes you are!”  Rocket glared at him.  “You’re actin’ senile!  I mean who in the world doesn’t get somethin’ so obvious!”   
  
“Hey!” Quill snapped.  “Do _not_ call him old!”   
  
“You called him old two minutes ago!”   
  
“Yeah, when he was _clearly_ making a misguided decision, but now he’s changed his mind to the correct way of thinking!”   
  
“No he has not, you just blackmailed him!”   
  
Yondu sunk into his chair and covered his eyes with his hand.  “What if I say y’ both the best pilot.”   
  
“No!” they snapped in unison.   
  
“I was cybernetically engineered--”   
  
“You keep sayin’ that like it means something--”   
  
“--better than some kid taught by drunken--”   
  
“-- _toaster_ is cybernetically engineered--”   
  
“--that back, you asshole!--”   
  
“--said no biting, you jerk!--”   
  
Yondu sighed, stared at the ceiling, and waited for it to end. 


	3. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for language  
> Warnings: Offscreen poisoning/illness  
> Words: 285
> 
> Not exactly how Yondu intended to first admit it.

“Oughta box y’ ears, boy,” Yondu growled, pausing in his pacing for a moment to look out the window of the waiting room.   
  
“Oh, like I was supposed to know that chocolate is bad for raccoons!”   
  
“He _ain’t_ a--”   
  
“Yeah, yeah, he ain’t a raccoon,” Peter said, waving a hand.  “I know.  But he’s got a raccoon body and that’s the part that got sick.  Calm down.”   
  
Yondu scowled at him.  “An’ anyway, he said it smelled bad.  That means poison far as y’ concerned.  Swear if anything happens t’ him...”   
  
“He’s going to be fine!  You heard the doc.  Why are you bein’ so weird!”   
  
Yondu frowned and looked back out the window.    
  
“Are you...” Peter stared at him.  “Are you _worried?_ ”   
  
“No, I’m _pissed_ ,” Yondu said.  “Fuck.”   
  
Peter grinned.  “You _are_ worried, you giant sap.”   
  
“An’ whose fault is that!”   
  
“Oh, man, Rocket is gonna _lose_ it when I tell him--”   
  
“No!” Yondu whirled, eyes wide.  “No, I ... no.  Don’t tell ‘im.”   
  
Peter hesitated, then frowned.  “Why?” he asked.    
  
Yondu ran a hand over his head, following the course of his fin.  “He don’t need ta know.”   
  
“Yondu.”  Peter stood up and walked over to him.  “Ain’t a bad thing to care.  Ain’t a bad thing for him to know.”   
  
Yondu looked towards the ceiling.  “I ain’t hearin’ this.”   
  
“I’m serious,” Peter said.  “You should tell him.”   
  
Yondu snorted.  “What, that I love ‘im?”   
  
“Uh...” There was a long pause.  “I meant, y’know, that you’re worried.  But uh, yeah, that works too.”   
  
Yondu’s face turned three shades darker and he closed his eyes.  “Ah, fuck.”


	4. Underwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Warnings: None  
> Words: 392
> 
> Rocket wasn't expecting anyone to join him in the shower.

Rocket glared over his shoulder when he heard the shower door.  “Occupied,” he growled.   
  
Yondu stepped into view.  Naked.  _So_ naked.  “I’ll be quick,” he said.  “‘S okay?”  
  
“Oh.”  Somehow, no matter how many times he’d stripped out of his clothes in Yondu’s bed, this felt different.  He was suddenly very aware of the implants sticking out from his back.  “Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, staring at Yondu as he turned on one of the shower heads and stepped under the water.   
  
“Y’ starin’,” Yondu remarked.   
  
Rocket swallowed.  “Right,” he said, and returned to grooming the day’s grit out of his fur, but he couldn’t shake the image.  He’d never really seen Yondu _naked_ before.    
  
Well, of course he’d seen him naked, in that the lights were almost always off and there were blankets involved and his mind was generally in some state of fog...   
  
Rocket was biting at the inside of his cheek as he thought about it, and not washing.   
  
“Need help?” Yondu asked.   
  
Rocket started and slipped in the soapy puddle under his feet, landing hard on his ass.   
  
To his credit, Yondu mostly bit back the laugh.  “Y’okay?”   
  
“Fine,” Rocket grumbled.  He got back up, trying not to think about how very close and very _naked_ Yondu was.  It was flarkin’ distracting.    
  
Maybe he should do something about it.    
  
“Maybe you could ... help with my back?” he asked.   
  
“Thought’cha’d never ask,” Yondu said, and knelt down behind Rocket.    
  
Rocket tensed at the first touch, but Yondu didn’t move until he relaxed.  Once he had, thick fingers worked soap into his fur, carefully avoiding his implants, then Yondu moved Rocket under the water to rinse off.  He combed through Rocket’s fur again, this time his hands moving lower, and then he was running his fingers along Rocket’s tail.   
  
“‘S okay?” Yondu asked.  Rocket nodded and the fingers dipped under his tail.  He jumped, to Yondu’s chuckle.  “Maybe,” Yondu murmured against his ear, “We should lock the door.”   
  
Rocket snickered.  “‘Fraid Quill might get an eyeful?”   
  
“More thinkin’ ‘bout the bug.”   
  
Rocket’s eyes widened.  “Oh, shit, you’re right.”   
  
“I’m always right.”   
  
“No you ain’t.”  Rocket shooed him off.  “Go lock the door, and find something slippery.”


	5. Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 298  
> Warnings: Drinking
> 
> Peter has a question he probably shouldn't ask but he's been drinking so here we go.

“Okay, okay,” Peter said.  “Here’s the, the thing I don’ get.  Ain’t Yondu too _big_ for you?”  
  
Rocket turned his head with a frown and glared at both of Peter spinning around.  “Did you just ask me how big your dad’s dick is?”  
  
“ _Dude_.  No!  Gross.”  
  
“Well you asked!”  
  
“I cannot lebieve--er, bleheeve...um...”  
  
“You are so drunk.”  
  
“Am not!  So I can’t _believe_ you think I think my dad’s dick is big!”  
  
“I...” Rocket couldn’t even finish, dissolving into a fit of giggles.  “Do you, do you even hear yourselves!  Oh my god!”  
  
“What!” Peter demanded.  “Jus’ don’ make sense, s’all!  I mean d’you, uh, top?”  
  
“No!” Rocket couldn’t stop giggling for some reason.  “Ain’t ... no.  Ain’t too big, ain’t all that long anyway plus it’s really when they’re thick that hurts and he’s more...”  Rocket tried to finish the description with his hands, holding his fingers up in a circle.  
  
“Oh, gross!”  
  
“You asked!”  
  
Peter let his head thud back onto the floor and took another swig, mostly managing to not spill it all over himself.  “S’wait,” he said.  “If y’know what hurts that means...” He frowned, trying to work out the puzzle.  
  
“Ain’t my first,” Rocket said.  “Toldja, know what I’m doin’.”  
  
“Thought you were bein’ brava... uh... bravado, uh, y,” Peter said. He frowned deeply for just a moment before looking at Rocket.  “...Just guys?”  
  
Rocket sighed.  “Nah.  Couldn’t really be picky.”  
  
“If you didn’t hafta be picky?”  
  
Rocket thought about it for a few moments, or was it minutes?  “Still wouldn’t care.”  
  
“So you’re bi.  That’s cool, man,” Peter said.  “Me too.”  
  
Rocket lifted his head and looked over.  “Really?” he asked, but Peter was already snoring. 


	6. Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Words: 479  
> Warnings: Canon Typical Violence
> 
> A simple job gets a bit complicated but the result ain't so bad.

Rocket pressed his back to the counter, holding his breath as he tried to listen for any more movement on the other side of the bar.  All he could hear was Yondu breathing next to him.   
  
“Shut up!” he hissed.   
  
“Ain’t talkin’,” Yondu growled back.   
  
“I mean stop breathing,” Rocket said, keeping his voice low.  “Stop makin’ sounds.”   
  
Yondu frowned down at him, but obliged, going perfectly still and holding his breath.  Rocket mirrored, and for a few moments, the only thing between them that moved was Rocket’s ears.   
  
_There_.  A breath, unfamiliar, and the scent on the air was someone still alive.   
  
“Someone’s still out there,” he whispered, arming his blaster.  He stood up and turned around, looking up.  The bar was easily twice his height.  He looked at Yondu.  “Gimmie a boost,” he said.   
  
“Stick your head up an’ they’ll blast it off!” Yondu hissed.   
  
“Not if I’m faster,” Rocket said.  He lifted his nose, sniffing, getting a better idea of the direction he would need to fire in.    
  
Yondu didn’t look happy about that plan, but he nodded and turned around, getting on his knees so he could lift Rocket up.  Rocket climbed up onto his back and got ready, then tapped Yondu’s head.  “Go.”   
  
Yondu shot up, lifting Rocket over the edge of the counter.  He saw the guy turning, eyes widening, but Rocket was faster and before the gun could even be aimed towards them there was a hole in the shooter’s face.  Rocket did another sweep, looking for more movement, then relaxed.  “Got ‘im,” he said, and jumped onto the bar.  He grabbed a discarded shot and downed it.   
  
Yondu was getting all the way to his feet, dusting off his jacket.  “All that for an old sword?”   
  
“All I gotta say is this thing better be worth it,” Rocket said, walking over to their prize and prying it from a dead man’s hands.  The deal would have gone a lot smoother if another bounty hunter and his team hadn’t been on its trail.  He smirked up at Yondu.  “Y’ain’t bad in a firefight.”   
  
Yondu snorted and held out his hand.  Rocket handed him the sword then climbed up onto his back for the walk to their ship.  He settled there, then inhaled deeply against Yondu’s neck and just about moaned. He couldn’t believe how _good_ the man smelled when his blood was pumping like this.   
  
“You smellin’ me again?”   
  
Rocket smiled and nuzzled against grizzly blue skin.  “Nah,” he lied, and licked Yondu’s neck, then his ear. “Better walk fast, old man,” he purred.  “Ain’t waitin’ any longer than I have to.”   
  
He knew Yondu would roll his eyes.  But he also started walking as fast as he could, so Rocket didn’t care.  


	7. Shy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 374  
> Warnings: Implied Rape/Non-Con (not of a named character), Drugging, Imprisonment
> 
> Rocket ends up in some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the exact moment my brain kicked me and told me it was done with pure fluff and I had better start balancing it. The pieces get less fluffy on average from here on out, I think I was just recovering emotionally from HoS. There's still a good amount of fluff, though.

“It’s waking up.”  
  
Rocket knew he’d been drugged from the way the words echoed in his ears.  He tried to stand, failed, and ended up on his side again.  His fur rubbed against a cold floor.  He wasn’t wearing his suit.  Or ... anything, he realized.  He curled, instinctively, to shield himself.    
  
“Aw, look, it’s shy!”  
  
When he pried open his eyes, everything spun.  Rocket heard his heart pounding.  There were bars.  The smell of every kind of bodily fluid was almost overwhelming.  People had been held in here before.  Things had _happened_ to them.  
  
“Ain’t shy," he mumbled, squinting at the shapes on the other side of the bars.   He bared his teeth. “C’min here ‘n see.”  
  
They laughed at him and Rocket felt the fur on his neck raise up and he snarled as he best as he could. Maybe that hadn’t been the smartest threat, considering.  
  
“It’s cute!” one of them laughed.  “I call dibs.”  The lock started jingling.  
  
Something twisted in Rocket’s stomach and he squirmed back into a corner, hissing at the looming form.  No guns.  Could barely focus. Probably wouldn’t be able to aim with his claws.  Teeth were an option if anything got close to his mouth.  
  
“ _HEY!_ ”  
  
Rocket’s heart skipped.  
  
“Get the _fuck_ away from him!”  
  
Shouting and weapons-fire came after that, but Rocket barely heard any of it.  After hearing that voice, he let his awareness slip away, riding out the drug haze as best he could.  
  
The next time someone touched him, Rocket recognized the smell and the hands.  
  
“‘S okay,” Yondu muttered.  “Didn’ touch ya, did they?”  
  
Rocket shook his head and tried to get up, only to end up falling against Yondu.  
  
“Hey, ‘s okay.  Jus’ be still, Guardians’re comin’ for us.”  
  
Everything tilted oddly and Rocket realized that Yondu was lifting him.  Something covered him.  It smelled like Yondu.  “N’here?” he mumbled.  
  
“Jus’ us,” Yondu said, and Rocket turned to bury his face in Yondu’s coat. Each breath of the Ravager’s scent seemed to clear the drug haze away, just a little.  
  
“I gotcha,” Yondu murmured, and Rocket slipped from consciousness.


	8. Crooked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for mild criminal behavior?   
> Warnings: None  
> Word Count: 271
> 
> Some habits are hard to break.

“Rocket!”   
  
“Now whad’ja do?” Yondu asked, not looking up from polishing his arrow.   
  
“Nothing!” Rocket protested, as the door slammed open and Gamora stormed in.   
  
“What is this!” she demanded, holding up a paper and shaking it.   
  
“Uh...” Rocket squinted. “...What _is_ it?”   
  
“It’s a receipt of sale for the Milano!”   
  
Yondu raised an eyebrow at him.   
  
“Well obviously it ain’t a _real_ sale,” Rocket said.  “Seein’ as how we still got the Milano.”   
  
“You should not be running scams, that is how we make enemies!”   
  
“The rat?” Yondu asked with feigned surprise.  “Cuttin’ crooked deals?  Never.”   
  
“You can stay out of it ya blue freeloader,” Rocket growled at him.  Yondu smirked back.  Rocket ignored him and turned to Gamora.  “‘Mora.  It ain’t real.  I mean, it ain’t a real fake deal, or whatever you think.”   
  
“Then what is it?” she asked, crossing her arms and fixing Rocket with a glare.   
  
“I was doin’ a demo for Groot,” Rocket said.  “He wanted to learn how to sell something.”   
  
“Why.”   
  
Rocket shrugged.  “I don’t know what goes through his tree head.  He asked, I answered.”   
  
Gamora looked suspiciously between them.  “Fine,” she said, and left.   
  
There was a beat of silence.   
  
“Tree ain’t never asked ya how t' sell somethin’.”   
  
“You shut your mouth, old man.”   
  
“This gon’ lead back t’ us?”   
  
“No,” Rocket said.  “I was careful.  Lettin’ off steam.”   
  
“Sure?”   
  
“Sure,” Rocket promised.    
  
Yondu nodded.  “Okay.  How much didja get?”   
  
Rocket sighed.  “Couple grand.”   
  
“Good,” Yondu said, and smirked.  “Next round’s on you.”


	9. Screech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Warnings: (Does over simplification count as a warning?)  
> Words: 614
> 
> The "Yondu lived" scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favorite, but I told myself I would post this whole exercise so here it is! There were a few specific moments I had stuck in my head but didn't have the time/muse to fully flesh this out. 
> 
> (By the way, to those of you making your way through what is mostly silly drabbles, I cannot thank you enough <3 )

For some reason, the thing that stuck with Rocket was the way Groot had screeched when the body was brought in.  He’d seen dead bodies before, Rocket had personally seen to some of them himself.  Groot had even killed people before.  But as far as Rocket knew, he had never, in this life or the previous, seen someone he’d truly known and cared about dead.   
  
The thing with Yondu, though, was that Kraglin had been hollerin’ about Centaurians and space and gettin’ warmed up and the awful, sick knots in Rocket’s stomach had been dancing ever since.  He was too scared to hope.   
  
He was in the corner of the room where Yondu was clinging to life, a spot he’d barely moved from except to piss or grudgingly eat.  It had been over a week since _that day_ and the Ravager was still in a coma.   
  
“Needs ta heal,” Kraglin had said at one point.  “Seen it before.”   
  
But Rocket wasn’t expecting any happy endings here.  He knew how the world worked.   
  
So when Yondu stirred, Rocket just stared for a moment.   
  
Then Yondu coughed, and opened his eyes.  “What...”   
  
Rocket hit his comms.  “Quill, Kraglin, get in here!” he shouted, and ran to the bed, climbing up.   
  
Yondu looked blearily up at him.  “Guess ya didn’ get rid’a me,” he croaked.   
  
“Shut up, ya blue idiot,” Rocket said, and grabbed him, hugging his neck and hiding his face against it so the Yondu couldn’t see the way his eyes were filling with tears.  After a moment, Yondu’s hand settled on the small of his back.  “You ever do that again, I’ll bite off your balls,” Rocket told him.  
  
Yondu snorted.  “Then what wouldja do?  Seem ta recall ya likin’ them.”   
  
“Whoa, what...”   
  
Rocket looked up and around.  Quill and Kraglin were there.  Kraglin’s mouth was doing funny things like he was trying not to smile too stupidly, and Quill was just staring.   
  
Yondu pushed himself up on one elbow, hand staying on Rocket.  “Uh, hey.”   
  
“Are you two...” Quill looked between them.  “But...”   
  
“It’s a long story,” Rocket hedged.   
  
“No it ain’t,” Yondu snorted. “Got stuck after this moron took us through 700 space jumps, had lotsa time ta fill.”   
  
“So you--wait, I don’t--uh--what...”   
  
“That mouth’a yours is flappin’, boy,” Yondu said.   
  
Quill snapped his mouth shut.  He looked like he’d swallowed something disgusting for a few moments as he looked between them, then he sighed and rubbed the back of his head.  “I ... okay.  I’ll just...” He trailed off.   
  
“Welcome back, Cap’n,” Kraglin said, breaking the silence.  He was beaming.  “Ya got some visitors, when ya feel up ta it.”   
  
“Like who?” Yondu grumbled.  His fingers were running through the fur on Rocket’s neck.   
  
“Like Stakar an’ the other Captains,” Kraglin said, and Yondu’s hand stopped moving.  “Rocket called ‘em, yelled until they got the idea.”   
  
Rocket glanced away.  He could feel Yondu’s stare.   
  
“Well I’ll be,” Yondu finally said.  “All it took was a smartass rat?”   
  
“For once in your life, ya blue idiot, just shut up,” Rocket said, but he couldn’t hide his smile.   
  
“I think I need alcohol,” Quill said, wandering away, looking dazed.   
  
“Bring enough for everyone!” Yondu called after him, then turned back to Rocket with the softest eyes Rocket had ever seen on him.   
  
“Get that stupid look off your face,” Rocket pretended to grumble and relaxed against his chest.   
  
Yondu’s hand started moving again. “Soon as ya get it off yours.”


	10. Gigantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 858  
> Warnings: Argument
> 
> Eventually, every couple fights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have historically hated writing pairings I'm into arguing, this was a shot at a very teeny argument.

“So what happened!” Yondu demanded, gesturing at the hole in the side of their ship.  
  
“Uh...” Rocket glanced at it, then shrugged.  “I missed?”  
  
“It’s huge!”  
  
Rocket crossed his arms and looked critically at the damage.  “I’d say gigantic.”  
  
“Damn it, this ain’t the time for jokes!”  
  
“Y’know,” Rocket growled, “For bein’ the only one who tries to make repairs--”  
  
“Makin’ repairs ain’t destroyin’ the best flyer we got!”  
  
“Hey!” Rocket snapped, rounding on him.  “Guess what!  I make mistakes sometimes!  I know that’s hard to believe, but if you’re just gonna stand here and gawk at it you can fuck off!”  
  
“I am _still_ the Captain here--”  
  
“No,” Rocket said.  “You ain’t.  That’d be Quill.”  
  
Yondu’s jaw tightened and he shook his head, then turned on his heel and walked away.    
  
Rocket rubbed a hand over his face and looked back at the damage.  His stomach twisted.  “Fuck.”

* * *

Rocket fixed most of the damage by the end of the day.  He made his way back to the room he shared with Yondu and lifted his hand to open the door, then stopped and lowered it.    
  
Was he supposed to go in, or not, or...?  
  
The knots in his stomach coiled even tighter.    
  
“I am Groot?”  
  
Rocket jumped a little, looking at Groot as he approached.  He was about half of Rocket’s height now, and looking up at him curiously.    
  
“Uh,” Rocket said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “I’m not sure how...”  
  
Groot’s eyes widened in understanding.  “I am Groot!” he said.  
  
“You’ll what...?” Rocket asked, frowning in confusion, then he realized what Groot was going to help with.  He lunged, just a moment too late.  “Wait, Groot--!”  
  
Too late.  Groot had helpfully reached up to punch the door controls and the door opened, revealing Rocket in mid-tackle of the little tree.  He froze, cringed, and made himself look in.  
  
Yondu was reclining on their bed, tablet in hand, fully dressed.  He raised a single eyebrow.    
  
Rocket sighed and straightened.  “ _Thanks_ , Groot,” he said, for once glad that Groot had never picked up on the finer points of sarcasm.  “Couldn’t’a done it without ya, buddy.”    
  
Groot beamed at him before dashing away.    
  
Yondu turned the tablet off and tossed it to the side.  “Well c’mon,” he said.  
  
Rocket frowned and stepped in.  The door closed behind him.  “Look,” he said, “You don’t get to be pissed here because _you_ told Quill he’d be the Captain and you wouldn’t fight him on it and that’s all I said plus everyone makes flarkin’ mistakes, even me, so--”  
  
“Stop,” Yondu said, shaking his head and holding his hand up.  
  
Rocket did, but he didn’t quiet his growl. Yondu didn’t say anything.  “Well?” Rocket finally demanded.  
  
Yondu rubbed his face.  “Y’right,” he said.  
  
“So just because--” Rocket started, then frowned.  “Wait, what?”  
  
Yondu shrugged, not looking at him.  “Y’right,” he said.  “Tha’s all.”  
  
“Oh.”  Rocket tilted his head.  “Um.  I ... don’t know how to do this part.”  
  
“Could just let it go,” Yondu said.     
  
Rocket shifted his weight.  “I ... took a shortcut,” he said.  “On the repairs.  Caused the damage.”  
  
“I know,” Yondu said, and finally looked at him.  “Ya don’ make mistakes like that when ya try.”  
  
Rocket nodded and scratched behind his ear.  “It’s almost fixed.”  
  
The corner of Yondu’s mouth turned up, just a little.  “‘Course it is,” he said.  “Y’got the best mind.”  
  
Rocket tilted his head, peering, then inched forward.  “...Go on.”  
  
Yondu’s eyebrow lifted.  “Really?”  
  
“Udonta, if you ever want to get me out of my pants again--”  
  
“And hands,” Yondu said.  “Y’got the best hands.  And the best tail.”  
  
“I got the only tail,” Rocket said.  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Still.  Plus, ‘cept for me, y’ the best pilot we got.”  
  
Rocket shook his head and couldn’t stop his grin.  “You say that to all the mutant cyborgs.”  
  
“Jus’ you,” Yondu said.  “Cross my heart.”  He gave Rocket a hopeful look.  
  
Rocket huffed, pretending to think about it for a few more moments, then nodded and climbed up onto the bed.  “Good enough,” he said, curling up on Yondu’s chest.  Yondu’s hand ended up on the back of his head.    
  
Rocket relaxed there for a while, just letting Yondu pet him, but he was itching for a bit more and feeling strangely giddy.  He traced patterns on Yondu‘s chest with his claw.  “So, you were sayin’ I got good hands,” he said.  “I--”  
  
He didn’t get a chance to finish, because Yondu had him flipped over and pinned in seconds.  Rocket bared his teeth in a grin and went straight for the Ravager’s belt, getting it undone and popping open the buttons in seconds.  
  
“Toldja,” Yondu said, breathing heavily.  “Good hands.”  
  
One slipped into Yondu‘s pants. “Yeah, well, wait ‘til you see what _else_ I can do with ‘em.”


	11. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Words: 966  
> Warnings: Crack, Uncertain consent (tag added for an overabundance of caution - see notes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is MOSTLY crack. Also, upon rereading it I realized that it could be seen as uncertain consent without the context of the characters and their relationship, but these are two damaged people who each trust the other to speak up (read: threaten to shoot) if they're uncomfortable, so nothing is happening against anyone's will.

Rocket took another lap from his drink.  “But you looked so worried!”  
  
“Thoughtchu was dead!” Yondu protested.  “How’m I s'posed ta look?”  
  
“All wide eyed and staring...”  
  
“Like I said,” Yondu said. “Thoughtchu was dead.”  
  
“You were worried,” Rocket said, grinning.  
  
“‘Course I was worried!”  Yondu shook his head.  “That a bad thing?”  
  
“Didn’t know Ravagers could get worried,” Rocket said.  
  
“‘Case ya ain’t noticed,” Yondu said through gritted teeth, “I kinda like havin’ ya around.”  
  
“If ya like me so much,” Rocket snickered, “Why doncha marry me?”  
  
Yondu tilted his head, frowning a bit.  There was a beat of silence.  “Okay,” he said.  
  
“See, I knew you---wait, what?”  
  
Yondu stood up.  “Where’s that twig?” he asked, hands on his hips.  “An’ Kraglin, we’ll need Kraglin.”  
  
“Yondu, wait--”  
  
“If the Cap’n’s gettin’ hitched, falls to the first mate,” Yondu said, and tapped his comms.  “Kraglin!  Get your skinny ass down here!”  
  
“But isn’t Quill...”  
  
Yondu snorted.  “Barely knows aft from port.  Nah, Kraglin’ll do just fine.”  He looked around.  “Twig!  Y’ never around when I need ya!”  
  
“I am Groot?”  
  
Yondu whirled, beaming.  “There y’are.  Now, quick, need ya to fetch some things.  Get a blaster, and some liquor, and some ribbon.”  He shoed Groot off.  “Go, run!”  
  
“Now just hold on a minute,” Rocket said.  
  
“It was your idea,” Yondu said.    
  
“You’re not serious, right?” Rocket asked.  
  
“Your idea,” Yondu said with a shrug.  
  
Rocket took a deep swig of his drink.  “But ... you’re not serious.”  
  
“Sure I am.  Kraglin’s here, he can do it.”  
  
“But--” Rocket looked around and lowered his voice.  “You’re not _serious_.”  
  
“Why not?” Yondu asked.  
  
“Because ... It’s insane, isn’t it?”  
  
Yondu raised an eyebrow.  “More insane than you an’ me?”  
  
“I ... well, no,” Rocket admitted.  “Not a lot that’s more insane than us.”  
  
“Damn right,” Yondu said.  
  
“But that means ... you couldn’t leave,” Rocket said, voice low.    
  
Yondu nodded, pursing his lips.  
  
Groot came in, distracting both of them for a moment.  He was dragging along an orloni tied up in ribbon.  
  
Yondu’s eyes narrowed as he observed the struggling creaure, then he shrugged.  “Close enough,” he decided, and picked the orloni up, starting in on untangling it.  
  
Rocket was scowling at him.  “If you can’t answer that it means you can’t leave, this is a terrible idea.”  
  
Yondu raised an eyebrow at him.  “Thought that was obvious,” he said.  “Ain’t goin’ anywhere, got no plans to.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“Listen, ya smartass, y’worth stayin’ ‘round for.  Y’worth fightin’ for, an’ makin’ it clear how I feel about it.”  
  
Rocket was staring.  “That’s ... the most sentimental thing you’ve ever said.”  
  
Yondu grunted.  
  
“And that’s sayin’ somethin’,” Rocket added after a moment.  
  
“Don’t be mean on our weddin’ day.”  
  
“If you wake up tomorrow regretting this, I will shoot you.”    
  
“That’s fair.” Yondu got the orloni free and set it down, then looked critically over the ribbon.  
  
“Uh...” Kraglin walked in, looking bleary, then made a high-pitched sound and flailed his arms as the orloni streaked past him for the door.  “What...” He saw the ribbon in Yondu’s hands.  “Wait, what?”  
  
“That’s what I said,” Rocket said.  
  
“What took ya so long?” Yondu asked, and shoved the ribbon at Kraglin.  
  
Kraglin took it automatically, staring.  
  
“Get that look off y’ face,” Yondu said.  “Like y’ain’t never seen one before.”  
  
“Uh, well, not...”  
  
“What is going on?” Quill asked, joining them.  “Groot pulled me out of bed, literally.  Is everything...” He saw the ribbon.  “...Uh. What?”  
  
“Fuck’s sake, boy,” Yondu said, shaking his head.  
  
“Wait, but is that...”  
  
“Surrounded by morons,” Yondu muttered, rubbing his face.  
  
“Hey!” Rocket protested.    
  
“‘Cept you, y’ jus’ a smartass.”  
  
Rocket looked mollified.  
  
“Oh my god,” Peter said.  “Wait, okay, don’t do anything for two minutes.  Be right back.”  
  
“Y’sure, Cap’n?” Yondu asked as Quill ran off.  
  
“Imma shoot the next person who asks that,” Yondu said.  
  
Kraglin shrugged.  “Guess y’sure.”  
  
“What is going on?” Drax asked.  
  
“Cap’n’s gettin’ hitched,” Kraglin said, grinning.  
  
“To whom?” Drax asked, frowning.  
  
“To--what do you mean, _to whom?_ ” Rocket demanded.  “What the fuck kinda question is that!”  
  
“Quill’s manner led me to believe that there was something surprising happening,” Drax said.  
  
Rocket stared at him.  “An’ this ain’t surprising?”  
  
“You still have not answered my question,” Drax said.  
  
“To me!” Rocket exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.  
  
“Then no, this is not surprising,” Drax said.  “Except in how long it took.”  
  
Rocket stared at him.    
  
“Rocket, why didn’t you tell us?” Gamora sked as she arrived with Mantis, Nebula, and Quill.  
  
“I just learned myself,” Rocket said dryly.  
  
“Okay, that’s everyone,” Peter said, looking pleased with himself.  “Go ahead.”  
  
“Well, uh, well, I guess you two stand here, I guess,” Kraglin said, gesturing Yondu and Rocket over.  
  
“Wait,” Rocket said, holding a hand up.  He looked critically at Yondu.  “I call one free no gettin’ shot.”  He waited for Yondu to nod in agreement. “Are you _sure?_ ”  
  
Yondu  raised his eyebrows and nodded once.  
  
“Ain’t you gonna ask me if _I_ am?” Rocket asked him.  
  
Yondu tilted his head.  “Y’ sure?”  
  
“You know I ain’t even a legal person,” Rocket said.  
  
“Accordin’ ta rules made up by morons,” Yondu said.  “Ravagers don’t follow ‘em.”  
  
“Okay,” Rocket said.  “Then yes.  I’m sure." He grinned.  "Why the fuck not, huh?”  
  
Yondu grinned in answer.  “‘Zactly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said mostly crack because I can't get over the idea of them being Space Husbands. That stays canon for this 'verse.


	12. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for drinking and light violence  
> Words: 211  
> Warnings: None

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very quick one, probably about three minutes to write since I'd had this scene playing about in my head for a while. Also an initial attempt at Yondu's voice instead of Rocket's.

Yondu took a swig of his drink, something burning and unpronouncable, but it hit the spot.  Just a nice quiet afternoon on a nice quiet planet, Quill was off running errands, Drax was watching Mantis and Groot (or was it the other way around?), Gamora was making sure Kraglin’s deal went smoothly, and he could just take some time with Rocket and relax.   
  
Just drink his drink, and relax.   
  
“What is that thing, a fuckin’ beaver?”   
  
Yondu heard Rocket’s growl and sighed.  “Tha’s my husband,” he said, knowing it wouldn’t do any good.    
  
Fuck, he’d really wanted to finish this drink.    
  
“What did you just call me, asshole?” Rocket snarled, getting up and turning around.   
  
Maybe ... just maybe he’d be able to keep an eye on things and enjoy the drink while he watched and Rocket took care of it.    
  
Rocket launched himself into the fray and Yondu glanced around to count.  About three big ones.  Nothing Rocket couldn’t handle.  Maybe it would stay nice and easy and he could just stay at the bar.   
  
A glass shattered.   
  
Yondu cursed under his breath, took one more swig, then pulled out his blaster and got up.  The drink would have to wait.


	13. Teeming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 1635  
> Warnings: Thoughts of infanticide, thoughts of non-con/rape
> 
> Rocket gets separated from the others on a strange planet.

Rocket cursed as he made his way through the undergrowth.  Of all the places to get separated from everyone else, it had to be a place teeming with things that wanted to feed on him. Not only that, but there was some kind of growth on the tree trunks that made them impossible to climb. Some kind of fungus or something, he really wasn’t sure, but he’d put his hand on some and he was pretty sure there were things embedded in his paw now.  It itched and looked swollen.   
  
“Quill,” he tried on his comms again.  “Quill, can you hear me?  Yondu, Gamora, Drax?”   
  
Static.  Of _course_ it was a planet that interfered with their transmitters.   
  
Something rustled in the brush at the same moment Rocket caught a strange scent.  He froze, grabbing for his blaster before remembering that he’d lost it in the crash. He reached into his bag for his small explosives and clutched them as he sniffed.   
  
Mammal, carnivore.   
  
Rocket’s heart pounded and he crept back, slowly, never taking his eyes off of the last place he’d heard the movement.   
  
Then the wind shifted and he realized there were two.  He had barely a moment to hear the movement from behind him, but something was coming towards him.  He dove forward and threw an explosive back, and _ran._   
  
Branches whipped at him as he moved and he could hear crashing from behind.  On all fours he could get up to a good speed, but whatever was behind him was faster.  He threw another explosive and felt the heat as it went off and didn’t look back.   
  
He heard chittering from ahead, an alert, and headed for it.  He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was probably just as afraid of the things behind him as he was, which meant there might be a place to hide.   
  
He spotted a small burrow and dove for it.  It was barely big enough for him but he squeezed in, just in time to hear a snarl from above.  Claws caught in his tail but he got inside and scrambled forward.  He saw a pair of eyes, but turned his back to them to see how far he was from the opening.   
  
There was a paw there, swiping around, but he was well out of reach.  After a moment, it went away and Rocket turned to look at his unwilling host.    
  
The spitting, hissing thing in the corner looked a _lot_ like him.   
  
Rocket stared.  Except for a mirror, he’d never seen anything that looked like him before and it was ... well, it felt fucked up.  Especially since the thing had eyes that clearly didn’t belong to an intelligent creature.  And there was something strange about the smell...   
  
“Look,” he said, holding his hands up.  “Just need to crash until morning.  Okay?”   
  
A low growl picked up in its throat, a sound he recognized from his own moments of terror and trying to hide it.  When he made that sound, he was getting ready to fight his way out of instead of showing his fear.   
  
“Okay, hold on,” Rocket said, and hunkered, trying to make himself look smaller.  “It’s okay, I--”  
  
The thing lunged and Rocket heard a shriek that he only later realized came from _him_ , there was a flurry of movement, and then everything was still.   
  
He blinked, feeling like he was coming out of a dream, and realized he had his mouth on the creature’s throat.  He could feel a growl in his throat before he forced himself to quiet, then backed up.  The creature stayed on its back, chest heaving, eyes wide as it stared at Rocket.   
  
His nose twitched, sniffing.   
  
She.  As she stared at Rocket.   
  
And then Rocket saw what had been behind her and he stopped breathing.   
  
Kits, three of them.  They started making sounds, soft chirps that he could only assume were a call for the safety of their mother.   
  
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Rocket said helplessly. The chirps were doing strange things to him, making him want to get closer, smell them, lick them.  He felt sick.   
  
She stared at him, then flipped back over and went to her kits, curling up in front of them.  Her eyes never left Rocket.    
  
“Okay,” Rocket said.  “Okay, good.  I’ll just stay here until morning, okay?”   
  
She hissed but turned to her kits and started sniffing over them, licking them to quiet their chirps.  
  
Rocket leaned forward, _wanting_ , and hated whatever part of him caused it.   
  
She curled around them when her inspection was complete and they crawled under her belly, latching on.  She never took her eyes off Rocket.   
  
Rocket pulled his knees up to his chest and watched.    
  
His file had indicated him as part of a litter.  He’d had siblings, at least three, because he was number four. They’d had a mother.  He didn’t know how long they’d been with her, or where he’d been born.  Were they wild caught or lab bred?  Had he ever had nights like this, curled up safely with his family?   
  
What had happened to them?   
  
They were questions he’d struggled with before but something about _seeing_ it in front of him made them feel just that much more horrible.   
  
He wanted to curl up with the creatures in front of him.   
  
He also wanted...   
  
The images that came to mind almost made him sick and Rocket gritted his teeth, breathing heavy through his nose.  He was _not_ an animal.  He would not hurt those kits.   
  
After a few minutes, the urge passed and Rocket exhaled, trying to settle in.   
  
The night stretched on and Rocket managed a few minutes here and there of dozing.  The mother never slept from what he could tell, and he couldn’t blame her, given what he’d wanted to do, even briefly.  She stared at him the entire time.   
  
Dawn finally arrived and Rocket inched towards the mouth of the den, sniffing the new breeze.  He couldn’t smell the carnivores, but he couldn’t smell his team, either, so he didn’t move yet.    
  
Then, finally, he heard voices and recognized his team.  He went to move, then paused, and looked back at the small family.  He felt a twinge of guilt for depriving the mother of a night of sleep.  Her kits looked no worse for wear and they’d slept comfortably against her. Rocket was jealous.   
  
“Here,” he said, reaching into his bag.  He’d gathered some handfuls of berries the night before while he wandered, just in case he needed them, but now she needed them more.  They’d smelled fine to Rocket so he hoped they wouldn’t hurt her or her kits.  “Um.”  He scratched the back of his neck.  “Thanks.”   
  
He heard his name, clearer, and climbed out of the den, heading towards his team.   
  
“Rocket!”  Quill was the first one to see him and Rocket smiled when he saw the human, Yondu, Gamora, and Drax with Groot on his shoulder.   
  
“Hey, guys, I--”   
  
Peter sprinted forward and scooped him up, hugging him.    
  
“Hey!” Yondu barked.  “Don’t paw ‘im!”   
  
Rocket growled at the human.  “Put me down!”   
  
Quill obeyed, but only with a big, stupid smile.  “We were worried about you, man,” he said.   
  
“Yeah, well, you worry about everything,” Rocket said, going over to Yondu.  The Ravager held his hand out and Rocket climbed up the front of his coat, hugging his neck.   
  
“Oh, you let _Yondu_ hug you,” Quill complained.   
  
“You wanna do all the other things only Yondu gets to do?” Rocket asked, eying him.   
  
“Uh--”   
  
Gamora stepped forward.  “Are you hurt?” she asked, and relaxed when Rocket shook his head.  “We were worried, it is good to have you back.”   
  
“Good to be back,” Rocket said, and looked over his shoulder one more time in the direction of the den before they headed back to their ship. 

* * *

“Sure y’okay?” Yondu asked him later as he climbed into bed.  He'd showered for long enough to get the stink of the planet and the smell of the creature out of her fur, and now he needed to start smelling like his Ravager again.  He pressed up against Yondu's side.  
  
"Yeah," he said, turning his bandaged paw this way and that as he examined it.  He frowned.  
  
“Don’ look okay,” Yondu said.  “Bein’ quiet, too.”    
  
Rocket sighed.  “There ... I hid in a den,” he said.  “The thing in it looked like me.”   
  
Yondu’s hand, which had been stroking behind his ears, stilled for a moment.  “...Y’okay?”   
  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rocket said.  “Just weird.  I knew what the sounds they were making meant.  And I wanted...”  He felt sick again just thinking about it.  “There were kits,” he managed.   
  
Yondu’s eyes widened.    
  
“I wanted to kill them,” Rocket whispered.  “And...” He rolled to his side, hiding his face in a pillow.  “And force their mother.”   
  
“Ain’t your fault,” Yondu said immediately.  “Y’know that.  An’ ya didn’ do it.”  
  
“But I wanted--”   
  
“An’ sometimes I wanna kill someone who looks at me funny,” Yondu said.  “Ain’t no different.  It’s whether ya do it.  Okay?  Y’can’t help whatch’are.”   
  
“And what is that?” Rocket growled.   
  
“A _person_.  Fuck, y’know that.”   
  
Rocket turned his head and frowned at him.   
  
“Everyone wants ta do bad things,” Yondu said.  “But people can stop themselves.  Y’ back here now, tha’s what matters.”   
  
Rocket looked away but nodded, then pressed against Yondu and curled up against him.  The smell of his coat was comforting somehow.    
  
“Ya wanna talk about it?”   
  
“Not right now,” Rocket said.  Yondu’s hand settled back on his head and Rocket closed his eyes.


	14. Fierce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Words: 1560  
> Warnings: Canon-typical violence, past slavery, trauma

Yondu was strong.  He was brave, fierce, relentless, a good man in a fight.  Yondu was big and powerful.  Yondu made Rocket feel safe.   
  
But right now, Yondu needed Rocket to be the one making them safe.   
  
Rocket lifted his head from his where he was working breaking into the security system and sniffed the air.  There were about a dozen Kree guards in the area from what he could tell, maybe a few more or less.  He could see the surveillance screens, including the one from Yondu’s cell.  The Ravager hadn’t moved at all from what Rocket could tell.  He was in a corner, hands locked behind his back, collar around his neck, eyes open and staring at nothing.  His fin didn’t look damaged from here, but Rocket was willing to bet it wasn’t functioning.   
  
Rocket had seen it before, before he’d really known the man, back on the Eclector during the mutiny.  Yondu had looked _empty_.  At the time, Rocket hadn’t cared very much, but when he thought about it now, he felt ill.   
  
_Y’ever see that again_ , Kraglin had told him once, _You get ‘im out.  It ain’t good._  
  
 _What is it?_  
  
 _If you gotta ask that, y’ shouldn’t be with ‘im._  
  
Rocket huffed, as he had then.  He knew where that response had come from. The same kind of place he had learned how to close out the world and the horrors around him.  The same place he’d learned not to think about how he might never see tomorrow.   
  
Of course, back then, he’d only had himself to live for, so the thought of not seeing tomorrow had never been so bad.  Now...   
  
“Hold on, ya blue idiot,” he muttered as he worked on the security system.  “I’m comin’.” 

* * *

Half a dozen downed guards, one tripped alarm, and three smoke bombs later, Rocket picked the lock to Yondu’s cell and got the door open.  He dashed in and over to Yondu, whose didn’t seem to realize anything was happening.   
  
“Yondu,” he said, grabbing his jacket and shaking him.  One of his eyes was swollen and there was dried blood down his chin.  Nothing.  He shook again.  “ _Yondu_.  Udonta!”   
  
Yondu blinked and his eyes focused.  “Rat?”  
  
Rocket smiled to hide his tears.  “How’s it goin’, ya blue idiot?”   
  
“Not s’ great.”   
  
“Yeah.”  Rocket jerked his head towards the door.  “Can you move?  I’ll drag you if I have to but we’ll go a lot faster if I don’t.”   
  
“Can ya pick my cuffs?”   
  
Rocket snorted.  “I’m insulted you asked.  Get up, c’mon.”   
  
Yondu nodded and started working on getting to his feet.   
  
Rocket watched him, ears tilted back to listen for anyone who might sneak up on them.  When Yondu turned around he reached up to start working on the cuffs, then heard the click of a heel.   
  
He spun with a snarl, grabbing his blaster and shooting the guard in the face.   
  
“Should I worry?” Yondu asked.   
  
“Not yet,” Rocket said, and went back to the cuffs, getting them open after a few more moments.   
  
“What about this?” Yondu asked as he turned around, tapping the collar around his neck.   
  
Rocket frowned at it.  Just looking at it made him feel sick.  He swallowed and shook his head.  “I need tools for that one.”   
  
Yondu nodded, and the disappointment was quickly hidden.  “Lead the way,” he said.   
  
Rocket nodded and started to go, then stopped and turned around.  “One thing first,” he said, and walked back to Yondu.   
  
Yondu looked confused for a moment, then the corner of his mouth turned up and he held out a hand.  Rocket grabbed hold and climbed up his coat.  Yondu’s arms went around him and Rocket pressed to his neck.   
  
“Wasn’t sure ya’d find me,” Yondu said.   
  
“Wasn’t gonna stop killin’ folks ‘til I did,” Rocket said. “We still gotta get out.”   
  
Yondu nodded.  “Kept thinkin’, if I had one more chance, I’d tell ya...”   
  
“Stop that," Rocket said.  “You’re gonna have plenty more chances.”   
  
Yondu’s grip tightened for a moment, then he nodded.  “Le’s go.” 

* * *

They scrambled onto the Milano with bullets peppering the air around them and Peter shouting at them to get their asses on board.  The ship started lifting off before the hatch was even closed, with Rocket pushing at the back of Yondu’s legs to get him to move faster.   
  
Kraglin was waiting just inside with a stupid grin on his face.  “Hey, Cap’n...” He saw the collar and trailed off, the grin fading.    
  
“I’m workin’ on it,” Rocket growled at him.  “Go tell Quill to hold as steady as he can, I gotta get this thing off.”   
  
Kraglin nodded and scampered away.   
  
“Go sit,” Rocket said, pointing at his old bed from when the Milano had been their only home, and started rummaging for the tools he’d need.  Something to interface with the collar’s program, something to absorb any shock, and probably something to cut with if he couldn’t hack the lock.    
  
Yondu sat quietly as he searched, but Rocket saw the white-knuckled fists on his knees, the quick blinking, the way the red eyes kept darting about.  He bounded over and climbed onto the nightstand to get close enough.    
  
The speaker next to him crackled.  “Rocket, can it wait?” Quill asked.  “We’ve got crafts behind us, not sure how steady this is gonna be.”   
  
“This thing’s got a tracker in it,” Rocket said.  “So no, it can’t wait.  Warn me if we’re about to get hit.”   
  
“Copy that,” came Quill’s sigh.   
  
“Hold still,” Rocket said, turning back to Yondu.  Yondu nodded and Rocket carefully stripped a pair of wires with his claws before hooking them into the key interface on the collar.  They were in turn linked up with a tablet he no longer cared about, and one he intended to throw into the engine core as soon as he was done.  The Kree might have some good programming, but Rocket wasn’t about to keep or use anything they had used to hurt Yondu.   
  
The uplink was easy enough, but deciphering everything after that was less so.  Rocket knew he was muttering but Yondu didn’t comment on it, or on how long it was taking.  His fists shook, but that was the only movement.  Rocket hardly dared to breathe.   
  
The ship lurched.   
  
“Watch it, Quill!” Rocket snarled.   
  
“Well hurry up!” Quill’s voice answered through a tinny little speaker.  “Those ain’t exactly Nova escorts followin’ us!”   
  
Rocket glanced over at the monitors and cursed.  “Okay,” he said, and carefully felt around the collar.  It was tight against Yondu’s skin with no room to slip something between.  He cursed again, leaning back.  “Okay,” he repeated, staring at the screen and the series of commands he’d managed to decipher.  He could trick the collar by executing an invalid order, hopefully frying the motherboard.  Problem was, it might also fry Yondu.  “It’s ... okay.”   
  
“Do whatever ya hafta.”   
  
Rocket tried to hide his cringe.  “It’s gonna hurt.”   
  
“I’ve had worse.”   
  
“Fuck,” Rocket muttered, shaking his head.    
  
“ _Rocket!_ ” Quill shouted.  “Hurry up!”   
  
Rocket’s ears leveled out and he bared his teeth, then started the command series.    
  
Yondu’s scream was terrible and the way his body started jerking made Rocket feel sick, but the smell of burning skin was worse.  He kept his eyes mostly on the screen, holding his breath, waiting for _something_ to happen.   
  
And then--silence, and a small _pop_ followed by a fizzle.  Rocket heard a click and grabbed the collar, tearing it open and getting it off Yondu’s neck.  Yondu slumped over but Rocket couldn’t take the time to check him.  He put the collar in his mouth and sprinted to the engine room.  The Milano only had a small core, but it was hot enough to destroy the vile thing he was carrying, and he threw it in.    
  
He stayed only long enough to watch it start to melt before running back to the main hold and Yondu.  “It’s gone,” he told Quill, jumping onto the bed and grabbing Yondu’s shoulder.   
  
“I can tell,” Peter said.  “They’re not following us through this cloud anymore.  Good work, Rocket.”   
  
Rocket frowned.  Yondu’s eyes were half-lidded, looking at him.    
  
“‘S gone?” Yondu slurred.   
  
“Yeah,” Rocket said.  He swallowed as he looked at the burns on Yondu’s neck.  There were more than just what he’d caused.    
  
Yondu nodded and his eyes closed.  Rocket saw the moisture clinging to them but didn’t say anything about it, instead leaning in and licking Yondu’s jawline.  He wanted to lick his neck, clean every part of his skin that had been touched by the collar, but until the skin was healed he didn’t dare.  He wasn’t about to cause Yondu more pain.   
  
“Thanks, rat,” Yondu said, his hand wrapping around Rocket’s tail.    
  
Rocket ran his fingers over the top of his head.  “Anytime, ya blue idiot.”


	15. Mysterious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Words: 425  
> Warnings: Kinda cracky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Look I never said these were all good, this one's just kind of a silly nothing that got me through that day's prompt. But as part of a daily writing exercise I enjoyed it!

Rocket eyed Quill as he strode through the bridge whistling, checked something in their nav systems, and left again, still whistling.  
  
“He’s bein’ suspicious,” Rocket said, watching him go.  
  
“I would say mysterious,” Drax hummed.  
  
“Whatever it is, it’s weird,” Rocket said, going back to the blaster he was upgrading.  
  
Yondu came in next, humming the same song Quill had been whistling, walked over to the same nav screen, checked something, then left the same way.  
  
“Alright, that’s it,” Rocket said, putting his screwdriver down and standing up, dusting off his hands.  “What are they up to?”  He strode over to the nav screen and tilted it down.  Everything looked normal.  “What’re they doing?”    
  
“I am Groot,” Groot suggested.  
  
“No, why would they...” Rocket trailed off and tilted his head, then saw it.  “Oh, I’m gonna murder them both.”  
  
“What have they done?” Drax asked.  “And I know you will not murder either of them.”  
  
“How?” Rocket demanded, going back over to his blaster.  
  
“Because you have made the same threat many times and never followed through on it.”  
  
“Yeah?  There’s a first time for everything,” Rocket growled, and headed out to find them with his blaster over his shoulder.  
  
They were easy to find by following the smell of liquor and listening to the giggling.  Rocket rounded and corner and just about ran into Quill.    
  
“Whoa, I--hey!” Quill’s hands went up when the blaster went in his face.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Rocket growled.  “I told you I’m never going back to that place!”  
  
“Hey, no, listen,” Quill said.  “We’re not--”  
  
“My fur smelled like flowers for _weeks!_ ” Rocket snarled.  “Yondu didn’t smell right for even longer!”  
  
“No, no, listen, we had a bet for how long it would take you to notice!”  
  
Rocket held up one finger, mid-snarl, then stopped.  “...Are you drunk?”  
  
“...Maybe.”  
  
“Oh, for--”  Rocket groaned.  “Where is Udonta!”  
  
Peter pointed.  
  
Rocket stalked that way and poked his head around to find Yondu flushed several shades darker and grinning.  
  
“Did you at least win?” Rocket asked.  
  
“Nah,” Yondu said.  “That was Quill.”  
  
“You thought it would take me longer than that to notice you’d changed the direction of this ship without you morons acting like--like--like _morons_ and giggling like pink-faced Xandarian girls!”  
  
“Nah,” Yondu said again, shrugging.  “I thoughtcha’d notice soon as we changed course.  Now I owe Quill a hundred units.”

Rocket stared at him before shaking his head.  "Next time do it when I'm not workin' on somethin', got it?"

Yondu lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper.  "Ya wanna scam Quill with me?"

"You idiot," Rocket said, but he was grinning.  "Ask me when you're sober."


	16. Fat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> Words: 855  
> Warnings: Interspecies sex, frottage, teasing
> 
> What better way to resolve a difference of opinion?

Rocket stretched as he roused, not quiet yet willing to open his eyes.  The fur on the side of his face felt a little matted so he groomed it for a few minutes before snuggling back against Yondu.  The Ravager’s hand tightened around his waist.   
  
“Stop squirmin’,” Yondu muttered.  “Y’ tail tickles.”   
  
“Yeah?”  Rocket flicked it a few times just to be annoying, and snickered when Yondu grabbed it.  “Hey, leggo.”   
  
“Uh-uh.”   
  
Rocket huffed.  If he didn’t do anything, Yondu would get bored and let go, eventually.  But then, there were other ways. “Maybe if you weren’t gettin’ fat my tail wouldn’t tickle your belly.”   
  
“Ain’t gettin’ fat.”   
  
“Yeah you are,” Rocket said.  “All this posh life with the Guardians.  Gettin’ too easy.”   
  
Yondu grumbled but let go of Rocket’s tail and felt his belly, which was, admittedly, just a little bigger than it had been when he was actively Captaining.    
  
“See?” Rocket said.   
  
Yondu grunted.  “Got anywhere ta be?”   
  
“Nah.”  
  
“Good,” Yondu said as his hand returned to Rocket’s waist, wrapping around.  Rocket hummed, then squirmed when one of those fingers traced a line down his belly.   
  
“Puttin’ on an ounce or three y’self,” Yondu said.   
  
“Shut up, I am not.”   
  
“If y’say so,” Yondu said.  His fingers made a circle around the tip of Rocket’s sheath.  “But y’either admit it or take it back.”   
  
“Uh-uh,” Rocket said, then grabbed at the sheets with a gasp.  Yondu had teased a finger inside, brushing the tip of his cock, and Rocket’s hips pushed into it.    
  
“Eager,” Yondu teased.  “C’mon.”   
  
“Mm... no.  I can outlast you.”  Rocket stretched out a foot, finding Yondu’s cock and rubbing it.  “Watch.”   
  
“Doubt it,” Yondu murmured, mouth pressed against Rocket’s fur.  It made Rocket shiver, and that was even before the Ravager was rubbing him up and down through his sheath.  He squeezed for a moment and it was enough to make Rocket briefly forget about what he was doing.  “Toldja,” Yondu said.   
  
Rocket shook his head.  “Mm-mm,” he hummed, but Yondu was already coaxing him out, callouses rubbing over him so lightly.  Rocket whined and tried to push into it but Yondu pulled away, barely brushing him.    
  
“C’mon, take it back,” Yondu said.    
  
“Not,” Rocket managed, “A chance, Udonta.  _You_ ... fuck.”  One of Yondu’s fingers teased around under his tail, pressing on his ass.  Rocket arched, caught between both hands now, tail trying to lift but stuck against Yondu’s body.    
  
“Say it an’ I’ll get some lube,” Yondu wheedled.    
  
“Uh-uh.”  Rocket buried his face in the pillow.  He’d completely forgotten about whatever he’d been trying to do to Yondu and was now focused solely on not giving in.  But the way Yondu was thumbing his tip made that very, very difficult.   
  
“Fuck,” Yondu breathed after a while, drawing Rocket back from his haze for long enough to realize that the Ravager was very, very hard.  He stretched out his toes.  Hard, and leaking.   
  
“Not as easy as it looks,” Rocket said with a huffed laugh.  “C’mon, just admit it.”   
  
“ _You_ admit it.”   
  
Rocket groaned.  It was taking every ounce of self control he had not to reach out and grab Yondu’s hand to hold it in place for him to rut against.  “What if,” he panted, “We both admit it.”  
  
“Tha’s fine,” Yondu said immediately.  “Yeah I put on a few pounds.”   
  
“I added some ounces,” Rocket agreed, and the way Yondu _stroked_ him after that made him growl, low in his throat, and his hips started rocking.   
  
“ _Fuck_ y’ so hot when ya squirm like that,” Yondu breathed.  “C’mon, tha’s it, just like that,” he encouraged Rocket, who had grabbed Yondu’s wrist to hold him there.  Yondu’s fingers continued to squeeze and rub him, and the one on his ass pushed _just_ enough.   
  
“ _Yondu_ \--” Rocket managed, before he came in the man’s fingers, grinding against them.   
  
Yondu gave another string of curses, then he pushed Rocket down and his cock slipped between Rocket’s legs.   
  
“Lube?” Rocket asked.   
  
Yondu grunted a negative and started thrusting.  Rocket reached down to palm the tip, shuddering as the Ravager’s cock rubbed against his, sending small shocks through his entire body.   
  
Yondu came a few moments later, spurting onto Rocket’s belly, and then he sagged, breathing heavy.   
  
“Fuck,” Yondu breathed.  “The things ya do t’ me.”   
  
Rocket gave a satisfied hum, enjoying the way the Ravager twitched every time he brushed his fingers along his swollen cock. “Think I’ll call you fat more often,” he said.   
  
“Y’do, an' eventually I’ll stop fuckin’ ya,” Yondu grumbled.   
  
“No you won’t."  
  
“No, I won’t."  
  
Rocket smiled and cuddled up.  He liked the way it felt having Yondu soften between his legs.  He’d have to shower eventually, but not yet, he decided.  Right now, he never wanted to move again.


	17. Graceful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T (for the drinking)  
> Words: 195  
> Warnings: Drinking, sap

“You’re drunk,” Rocket giggled.   
  
“No I ain’t,” Yondu said, but his hand shot out to the bar when he tried to take a step.   
  
“Yeah y’are,” Rocket said, and fell more than climbed off his stool.   
  
“Graceful,” Yondu remarked.   
  
“You shut up,” Rocket said.  He held his arms out to steady himself a bit.  He made his way over to Yondu’s leg and grabbed hold.  “You steady?”  
  
“Climb on up,” Yondu said, and Rocket made his way up to Yondu’s back for the walk back to the ship.  Rocket settled there happily, nose to Yondu’s neck.    
  
“You’re wobbly,” Rocket snickered after a few steps.   
  
“No I ain’t,” Yondu grumbled.  “‘Sides, ya got suds in y’ whiskers.”   
  
“Do not!” Rocket protested, jerking up, a hand quickly swiping over his face.   
  
“Not anymore, anyhow,” Yondu said.   
  
Rocket settled back down, happily smelling Yondu’s neck and enjoying the slow walk.  “Hey, Yondu?”   
  
Yondu grunted.   
  
Rocket nuzzled him.  “I like you.”   
  
“Y’ drunk.”   
  
Rocket smiled.  “Yeah.  But I still like you.”   
  
Yondu’s hand went up to Rocket’s head.  “I like ya too, rat.”


	18. Filthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 675  
> Warnings: Porn watching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of my favorites tbh

Rocket frowned as he scanned through the video, his face inches from the screen as he watched.  The volume was low and his ears kept flicking back so no one would be able to sneak up on him.  He did _not_ want to be caught watching this.    
  
He scanned forward again a little more.  This video didn’t really seem to have much of it, either, but what it did have was good, at least.  He rewound to the beginning to watch those parts again, leaning forward a bit more.  
  
“Wassat?”  
  
Rocket jumped and scrambled for the off switch, but the tablet had other plans and jumped out of his hands instead and went skidding on the floor.  “Ah, shit--” He jumped up and turned around, just in time to see Yondu bending down to pick it up.  Rocket covered his face with one hand.  
  
The actors in the porno chose that moment to start moaning obscenely loud.  
  
“I ain’t enough for ya?” Yondu asked, tilting his head at the screen.  
  
Rocket sighed.  “No, that ain’t ... ain’t what...”  He heard a sound that meant _that_ part of the film was starting and he briefly thought about grabbing his blaster and just ending it all.  
  
“Tha’s the second most filthy thing I ever seen,” Yondu remarked after a moment.  
  
“It really ain’t what you think,” Rocket mumbled, and Yondu finally turned the video off.    
  
He walked over to Rocket and handed him his tablet, then sat down next to him.  “I don’t care if ya watch pornos,” he said, and it sounded like he was fighting not to laugh.    
  
“I wasn’t,” Rocket said.  “Or--well--I was, but not ‘cause’a...”  
  
“What for, then?” Yondu asked.  
  
Rocket chewed his lip, thinking about which answer would be least embarrassing, then decided to go for the truth.  “It’s ... I like watching the kissing,” he said, and hid his face in his hands.  
  
Yondu was quiet for a moment.  “Why?”  
  
Rocket sighed.  “It ... it looks nice,” he said, and shrugged one shoulder.  “Like it would feel really nice.”  
  
“We kiss.”  
  
“Yeah but not like...” Rocket gestured aimlessly.  “...We don’t fit together right.”  
  
“Hey.”  Yondu’s hand settled on the back of his neck.  “We fit together jus’ fine.”  
  
“Yeah, for a baldie and a mutant freak of a--”  
  
“ _Hey_.”  Yondu turned him and Rocket looked up.  “What’s this about?”  
  
Rocket looked away again.  “I just ... think it looks nice.”    
  
He waited for Yondu to laugh, but it didn’t happen.  When he risked a glance up at him, Yondu was looking back with a small frown.    
  
“You gonna say somethin’?” Rocket finally demanded when he couldn’t take the silence.  
  
“C’mere,” Yondu said, jerking his head and patting his lap.  Rocket climbed on, kneeling there and coming almost eye level with Yondu.  Yondu’s hands wrapped around his waist.  “What about it looks nice?”  
  
Rocket shrugged.  “Bein’ close.  Looks relaxing.  It’s somethin’ to do without doin’ _everything_.”  
  
“What’s relaxin’ for ya?”  
  
Rocket huffed.  “Smelling you.”  
  
“And it feels good when ya lick my neck,” Yondu said.  “Try it.”  
  
Rocket gave him a skeptical look.  “This is weird.”  
  
“No it ain’t,” Yondu said.    
  
Rocket huffed again, then leaned in, pressing his nose to Yondu’s neck and inhaling.  It was relaxing.  Yondu’s hand settled on his head and started petting.  Rocket felt a purr he would never admit to in his chest and started licking Yondu’s skin.  
  
It felt weird to just do that with nothing else.  
  
But it was also nice.  
  
“How’s it feel?” Yondu asked.  His mouth was against Rocket’s fur, his breath was warm.  
  
“Good,” Rocket murmured, and Yondu wrapped his arms around him and stood, taking them to their bed.  He climbed on and they lay down together, falling back into the rhythm.  
  
“Is it like kissing?” Rocket asked after a while.  
  
“Nah,” Yondu said.  “‘S better.”


	19. Cloud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Words: 289  
> Warnings: None
> 
> Just a walk in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of those, "Just write something" days. Silly banter nothingness.

“I hate this flarkin’ planet,” Rocket growled, aiming for another thick patch of brush and pulling the trigger, sending the whole thing up in a cloud of smoke.   
  
“What for?” Kraglin asked.  “Ain’t a cloud in the sky!”   
  
“Yeah, just three suns!” Rocket snarled.  “You realize I have a _fur coat_ that I can’t take off!  I’m boilin’ alive!”   
  
“Why not take off the suit then?”   
  
“‘Cause then he’d be naked, ya idiot,” Yondu said, swatting Kraglin around the head.  “Would you wanna strut y’ skinny bare ass ‘round here?”  
  
“Well, no,” Kraglin admitted.    
  
“Good, so shut y’ mouth.”  
  
They walked along for a while.   
  
“‘Sides,” Yondu said.  “Only I get to see ‘im naked.”   
  
Rocket snickered.   
  
“Oh, _wow_ , you managed to not make that joke for two whole minutes!” Peter complained. “None of us want to imagine that you old doofus!”   
  
“And none of us want to imagine you screwing y’ latest pick-up but that’s what happens when ya don’t have soundproofing.”   
  
“It’s _your_ ship!” Peter protested.    
  
“My ship ain’t the reason I didn’t get any sleep last night.”   
  
“Wait--last night?  I didn’t have anyone over last night.”   
  
“So who in the hell was hollerin’?” Yondu demanded, whacking at a vine.   
  
“Uh--”   
  
Everyone looked at Kraglin, whose face was bright red.   
  
“Aw, hell,” Yondu said.   
  
“T’ be fair, Cap’n,” Kraglin said, “You kept us up plenty.  ‘S only fair.”   
  
“Ya wanna talk about fair, let’s talk about the freeloaders on _my_ ship!”   
  
“I buy most of the food!” Peter protested.  “And Rocket does repairs!”   
  
“I provide charmin’ company,” Kraglin added.   
  
Yondu snorted.  “Like I said.  Buncha freeloaders.” 


	20. Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> Words: 1435  
> Warnings: Anal sex, dirty talk
> 
> Rocket has a question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About as close to PWP as I get. Also stretching out my "organic" sex scene skills, it's been all Transformers for years and they have way different rules :|

“Hey, Yondu...?”   
  
Yondu grunted, not looking up from picking at his nails.   
  
“How come you never, um...”   
  
Yondu waited a minute or so, then glanced over at Rocket.  “Can’t read y’ mind, rat.  How come I never what?”   
  
Rocket sighed and scratched the back of his head as he walked over to stand next to the bed.  “You never, uh, dirty talk.”   
  
Yondu stopped, lifted his head, and raised one eyebrow.  “What?”  
  
“I mean, about, stuff like how ... I...” Rocket sighed.  “Guys usually couldn’t stop talkin’ about how I feel.”   
  
Yondu frowned.  “Whaddya mean?”   
  
“Like, how tight I am, or...” Rocket kicked at the floor.  “Fuck.  Just, you never say anything like that.”   
  
Yondu turned to face him.  “That bother ya?”   
  
“No!” Rocket said, scowling.  “Of course not.  But uh ... why don’t you?”   
  
Yondu blew out a breath.  “Fuck, rat,” he said.  “Hell of a question.”   
  
“Hell of a thing,” Rocket said, shrugging.  He climbed up onto the bed and sat down next to Yondu, looking up at him.   
  
“I guess,” Yondu finally said, “Always figured ya got enough’a that.  Y’know.  From other guys, ones what jus’ used ya.”   
  
“Usin’ went both ways,” Rocket said, shrugging and twisting the sheet between his hands.   
  
“Ones what thought ya was an animal.”   
  
Rocket froze for a moment, then sighed.  “Yeah.”  His hands started twisting again.    
  
Yondu watched for a few moments before reaching over and covering Rocket’s hands with one of his own.  “Ya wan’ that?”   
  
“I mean...” Rocket shrugged one shoulder.  “Ain’t the worst.”   
  
“Ain’t the worst,” Yondu repeated.  “Tha’s all?  ‘Ain’t the worst?’”  
  
Rocket huffed.  “Fine, I liked it,” he said.  “That what you want?”   
  
“Well, yeah,” Yondu said, making Rocket frown up at him.  “Like ta know ya like somethin’ like that first.  Don’ wanna remind ya a’anythin’ bad.”   
  
Rocket tilted his head and one corner of his mouth curled up.  “I know.  ‘S why I’m askin’.  Other guys, always felt like a ... not like a person.  Other people.  But I always kinda liked the talking part.  So with you it might, I dunno, be nice.”   
  
Yondu thought about it for a moment.  “Okay.”   
  
Rocket peered at him.  “‘Okay?’”   
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said, shrugging.  “Okay.  Let’s do it.”   
  
Rocket’s ears pricked up.  “Serious?”   
  
“When do I say no ta you?” Yondu asked, grinning.   
  
“When I wanna blow up that one post ‘cause the music is awful,” Rocket said.   
  
Yondu elbowed him.  “Fine, one time,” he said.  “Wanna get outta this thing?” he asked, poking at Rocket’s suit.   
  
“Like right now?”   
  
“Yeah right now,” Yondu said.  He palmed at himself through his pants.  “I said let’s do it.”   
  
Rocket stared at him, then grinned and started undressing as Yondu did the same.   
  
“Good,” Yondu said when Rocket finished, grabbing for the lube and squirting it into his palm.  “You want me deep, y’ gonna get me deep.”  
  
Rocket shivered.  “Yeah?” he dared.   
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said, and put one hand on Rocket’s chest, pushing him onto his back.  Rocket went without resistance and spread his legs apart.  Yondu took a moment to smirk down at him.  “What a sight," he said.   
  
“Like it?” Rocket asked, heart racing.   
  
“Love it,” Yondu said.  “Gonna bury myself so deep in you.  Pound your tight ass.”   
  
Rocket licked his lips, legs pulling back.   
  
Yondu lifted two lubed up fingers for Rocket to see, then lowered them down, pushing them against Rocket’s ass.  Rocket pushed into it.  “Eager, huh?” Yondu asked, grinning.   
  
Rocket nodded.   
  
“Tell me whatcha want,” Yondu said, and his fingers pushed in to the first joint.   
  
“Um,” Rocket said.  “You.”   
  
“Whaddya want me ta do?”   
  
Rocket shuddered.  The fingers were in to the knuckles now.  “Fuck me,” he said.  He could hear Yondu’s other hand moving, coating his cock with lube.    
  
“Lika ya mean it, now,” Yondu said, crooking his fingers and pushing in deeper.  “C’mon.”   
  
Rocket rocked his hips, grabbing at the sheets.  “Fuck me!” he shouted.   
  
“Oh I will,” Yondu said.  “Gonna fuck ya so hard, get that ass nice and stretched out.  Pound it good.”   
  
“Fuck,” Rocket gasped, eyes fluttering.  He could feel his cock slipping out, the cool air making him hiss.   
  
“You make me so hard,” Yondu breathed.  “Fuck, look at’cha, ain’t even stretched out yet.”  His fingers were in all the way, teasing at him.  “Wan’ another?”   
  
Rocket nodded and Yondu pulled his fingers out, leaving him gasping.    
  
“Like gettin’ stuffed, huh?” Yondu said, and Rocket felt four fingers pushing in.  “Like it when I’m fillin’ ya.”   
  
“ _So_ much.”   
  
“Y’ already hard,” Yondu said.  “Barely touched ya yet.”   
  
“Yondu--”   
  
Yondu leaned down, just over Rocket’s cock, and licked him once, base to tip, then pursed his lips and blew gently.   
  
Rocket yelped and squirmed, caught there on Yondu’s fingers.  His hands clenched the sheets.    
  
Yondu twisted his wrist and Rocket could feel his thumb now.  Every movement made his cock throb and still he _ached_ for more.   
  
“Ya wanna get fucked?”   
  
Rocket whined and nodded.  “Yondu,” he begged.  “Yondu, _please_ \--”   
  
Yondu’s fingers pulled out of him and Rocket made a strangled sound, then shouted when they were replaced by the Ravager’s cock.  He arched up as Yondu buried himself.   
  
“ _Fuck_ you’re tight,” Yondu gasped.  His hands went on either side of Rocket’s head, and he hunched forward so he could still look down at him.  Rocket stared up at him, mouth slightly open.  “Tightest ass I’ve ever fucked.  So hot.”   
  
Rocket reached up and grabbed onto Yondu’s arm. They rocked together, breath harsh, and Rocket could only hold out for what felt like an embarrassingly short time before he started to beg.  “Harder,” he pleaded.  
  
“I can do harder,” Yondu said.  He was starting to pant.  “Feel so good, Rocket, can’t believe how good ya feel.  _Fuck_ so good.”   
  
“Come in me,” Rocket said.  His body was pushing up, his grip on Yondu’s arm anchoring him.  His cock was quivering and leaking, still untouched.  “Come inside me, _please_ , please, wanna feel-- _fuck_ \--feel your cum in me--”   
  
Yondu shouted and his body jerked as he came, grabbing the fur on top of Rocket’s head as he shuddered.  His hips twitched forward in short, powerful thrusts, every muscle in his body tensing.  
  
“ _Yondu_ \--”   
  
Yondu pulled out of Rocket and shifted back, head lowering and before Rocket could even really process what he was doing, his cock was in Yondu’s mouth.  He cried out and jerked up and came almost immediately.    
  
Yondu waited until he slumped, then pulled off Rocket and flopped down next to him, both of them panting.    
  
“Fuck,” Yondu said, rolling onto his back and looking at the ceiling.    
  
“Wow,” Rocket said.   
  
“I could do that again.”   
  
“Yeah I bet you could.”   
  
Yondu flicked his ear.  “Don’t be a smartass.”   
  
Rocket snickered.  “Thought you liked when I’m a smartass.”   
  
Yondu grinned.  “Like your _tight_ ass, that’s what I like.”   
  
Rocket scooched closer and curled up in the crook of Yondu’s arm.  “Ya dirty blue idiot,” he said.  
  
“Tight assed smartass.”   
  
Rocket snickered.  “You can’t call me that in front of the others.”   
  
“Why not, I think it’s kinda cute.”   
  
“Because if you do, you ain’t gettin’ any more of this tight ass.”   
  
“Ah, fine,” Yondu said.  His thumb rubbed across the top of Rocket’s head.  “No jokin’ for a minute.  Ya really liked that?”   
  
Rocket thought about it.  “Yeah,” he finally said.  “Yeah, I really did.”   
  
“No bad memories?”   
  
Rocket smiled and inhaled deeply against Yondu’s neck.  “Nah.  You liked it?”   
  
Yondu snorted.  “Ain’t a strong enough yes for that.  Fuck ya like that ‘til my cock fell off if I could.”   
  
“Let’s not go quite that far,” Rocket said.  “But yeah.  We could do that again.”   
  
“Soon as I can get it up,” Yondu said, chuckling.   
  
“Sure, old man,” Rocket snickered.  “You do that.”  He rapped his knuckles against Yondu’s chest.  “C’mon, I gotta get your cum off my tail before it dries.”   
  
Yondu groaned.  “Right now?”   
  
“Right now,” Rocket said, sitting up.  “And if you can get it up before we’re outta the shower, I’ll suck you off.”   
  
“Welp,” Yondu said, sitting up.  “No time like the present.”


	21. Furious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 2044  
> Warnings: Nightmares, past torture, off-screen torture, family arguing, there's a joke about spousal stalking which I know is a serious issue and not to be taken lightly but between the two here it is a joke
> 
> Rocket made a decision. Peter doesn't know if he agrees or not, he just wants to know why. Rocket, well, Rocket doesn't want to talk about it.

Yondu frowned and rubbed at his mouth as he listened to the shouting coming from the next room over. He briefly caught Kraglin’s gaze before looking away again.  Across from him Gamora sighed and shifted her weight.  Drax was leaning against the viewport cleaning his knife, and the bug girl and the twig--more like a sapling now, really--were sitting at the table playing some game with colorful pebbles.  
  
Over all of it was the yelling.  
  
Yondu wasn’t sure he could remember Quill ever yelling this much before, but he’d been furious upon realizing what Rocket had done.  Rocket was a bit different, he was easy to piss off and he resorted to yelling faster than even Yondu himself, which was saying something.    
  
But Rocket, right now, he sounded _enraged_.  
  
“Ain’t’chu gonna do somethin’?” Kraglin asked.  
  
“The fuck am I s’posed t’ do?” Yondu snorted.    
  
“Stop ‘em before they kill each other?”  
  
“Rat blew a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” Yondu said with a shrug.  “Let ‘em work it out.”  
  
Peter stormed out about ten minutes later.  Gamora followed him after a moment.  Yondu watched her go before standing and going over to the next room and looking in.  Empty, which meant Rocket had escaped through the vents.  Yondu sighed and rubbed his face.  He was too old to go hunting his squirmy husband down.  
  
“Yeah, he’s gone,” Kraglin said, peering over Yondu’s shoulder.  
  
“No shit,” Yondu said.  He turned around.  “He’ll turn up.  Jus’ gotta wait ‘til then.”

* * *

He heard the telltale slide of the vent cover a few hours later, in their room, followed shortly by the sound of a small body landing on the floor.  He stayed reclined on the bed.  
  
“Quill do any damage?” Yondu asked.  
  
Rocket snorted.  “That moron.  No.”  
  
“Yeah, ‘cept you kinda blew up the entire moon with our payment, contacts, records...”  
  
“I _told_ Quill, and I _told_ everyone, it needed to happen!” Rocket snarled.  
  
“Hey, I believe ya,” Yondu said.  “Jus’, can ya tell me why?”  
  
“You don’t believe me?” Rocket snapped at him.  
  
“I _jus’_ said I believe ya,” Yondu said, gritting his teeth.  “But it would go an awful long way if ya’d tell us why.”  
  
“Said I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout it,” Rocket snarled.  “You wanna keep pushin’ your luck, Udonta?”  
  
“ _Hey_ ,” Yondu snapped, sitting up straight. “Tryin’ ta help ya here, so stop bitin’ at me, rat!”  
  
The way Rocket’s eyes widened as his ears went back immediately made Yondu regret it.    
  
“Rocket,” he said, but it was too late.  
  
“ _Fuck_ you,” Rocket said, and shimmied back up to the vent, disappearing again.  
  
Yondu closed his eyes.  “Fuck.”

* * *

Yondu walked into the shop later.  It looked empty, but he guessed otherwise.  “Rocket,” he said.  “I know y’ here.  C’mon.  I’m sorry.”  He waited a moment to see if anything would happen.  When nothing did, he sighed and ran his hand across the top of his head.  “I know I ain’t s’posed t’ use it like that,” he said.  “Fuckin’ an’ fightin’, it’s Rocket.  I know that.”  
  
“Fuckin’ an’ fightin’ ain’t hard to remember,” came the growl from behind some cargo.    
  
“I know,” Yondu said.  He stayed where he was, but couldn’t deny the way that voice made his stomach flip a little with how glad he was to hear it.  “I fuck up sometimes.  Jus’ like you.”  
  
He heard the irritated huff.    
  
“Yeah,” Rocket grumbled, coming into view.    
  
“C’mere,” Yondu said, holding out his hand.  
  
Rocket regarded it critically for a few moments before walking over and climbing up Yondu’s coat.  He pressed his face to Yondu’s neck.  
  
“Wha’d ya see on that moon?” Yondu murmured.  
  
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Rocket whispered, _pleaded_.  “Please don’t make me talk about it.”  
  
Yondu heard what was unspoken and he blinked quickly, looking up at the ceiling.  

* * *

It was hours later, curled up in bed, when Rocket spoke again.  “I had to,” he said.  
  
“Experiments?” Yondu asked.  
  
Rocket flinched.    
  
“I’ll talk t’ Quill,” Yondu said.  
  
Normally he would expect Rocket to push back against that, insist he could do it himself.  Instead, he just nodded again.  It made Yondu’s stomach turn.  Very few things could render Rocket speechless like that.    
  
“Get some sleep, if ya can, rat,” Yondu murmured, petting Rocket’s head.  
  
Rocket nodded and huddled against him.

* * *

Yondu wasn’t sure which woke him up first, the scream or the pain, but whichever it was he was awake fast and struggling to contain the flailing, spitting bundle of fur and sharpness that was in bed with him.    
  
Thankfully size made Rocket easier to subdue, even if it did result in a fair number of scratches to what little skin was exposed.  He was glad he’d decided to leave his jacket on, but even if he hadn’t, Yondu knew the scratches were nothing compared to what Rocket was living in his nightmare so he would never care.    
  
He settled in for the wait, keeping Rocket as still as he could.  He’d learned long ago that shouting did nothing. Rocket had to be pinned so he didn’t hurt anyone, or himself, and the nightmare would run its own course.  
  
This one was lasting longer than normal, though, and Yondu had to turn his gaze away when he could no longer stand to see the pinned back ears.  There was nothing he could do about his hearing, though. The sounds Rocket made when he was like this were heartbreaking.  Pleas and sobs and shrieks and his chest heaved and every muscle strained.  Yondu had seen it before, but this was worse.  
  
Yondu waited.  
  
When Rocket’s eyes snapped open, Yondu let him go and he scrambled upright with a terrified whine, then froze, nose twitching.  
  
His head snapped around and he saw Yondu and shrank back.  
  
“Hey,” Yondu said.  He had to fight the urge to reach out.  He’d learned long ago that Rocket’s mind didn’t always leave the nightmare when he woke up.    
  
Rocket’s nose twitched again and recognition finally dawned. “Oh, god,” he whispered.  
  
Yondu held his arm out and Rocket crawled to him, grabbing onto his jacket and burying his face in it.  Yondu’s arms went around him and he held Rocket as he shuddered and tried to choke back his sobs.  
  
Yondu held him until he passed out, then laid him down on the mattress.  He crawled over him and stood, took his jacket off, and tucked it carefully around him.  If Rocket woke up before he was back, he’d at least have that.  That done, he crept out into the hall and left to find Quill.  

* * *

Peter glanced up when Yondu came into the bridge, and immediately shook his head.  “Don’t start with me.”  
  
“I’ll start with ya when I want,” Yondu snorted.  “Ya need t’ lay off.”  
  
“He _blew up_ the biggest--”  
  
“Heard it,” Yondu said.  “Everyone heard it, by the way.  Ain’t good for the crew t’ hear that shit.  Take it somewhere else.”  
  
“Yondu,” Peter said, turning towards him and holding up a hand.  “He _blew. Up._ The _biggest_ \--”  
  
“That mouth ‘a yours keeps flappin.’”  
  
“Yondu!”  
  
“Look, boy,” Yondu said.  “Ya trust ‘im.”  
  
“Not anymore!” Peter waved his arms about.  
  
“Then ya never did,” Yondu said, shaking his head.  “If ya can’t trust y’ first mate--”  
  
“--my _what?_ \--”  
  
“--then ya need t’ rethink whatcha doin’.”  
  
“Yondu.  Man.”  Peter shook his head.  “Maybe I didn’t tell you what the take was, but--”  
  
“Jus’ stop, boy,” Yondu said.  “It’s my fault ya can’t think beyond the take.  So jus’ stop, an’ listen.  Ya trust ‘im with y’ life, with y’ crew’s life.  Why not this?”  
  
“Because...”  Peter trailed off, frowning.    
  
Yondu nodded.  “Because I didn’t do none of it right.”  
  
“I told you to stop saying that,” Peter snapped.    
  
“Why!” Yondu snapped back.  “Why, huh?  ‘Cause it’s true?  I ain’t some saint now, but even _I know_ ya gotta trust y’ crew!  Know what I’d do if Kraglin did this?”  
  
Peter scowled.  “You’d kill him.”  
  
“I’d box the man’s ears,” Yondu said, “And then I’d _let it go_.  Ain’t more important than y’ crew.  Ya know that.”  
  
“So he told you,” Peter said.  “You know, and there’s a reason.  Well good for you.  What’d he say?  What was it?”  
  
“Uh-uh.  Ain’t my place,” Yondu said.   “Quill.  _Peter_.  I’m askin’ ya.  Trust ‘im.”  
  
Peter rubbed his face.  “It was something bad, wasn’t it.”  
  
Yondu didn’t say anything.  
  
After a moment, Peter nodded.  He gestured at Yondu’s hand.  “You’re bleeding.”  
  
“It’s a scratch.”  
  
“Rocket do that?”  
  
Yondu narrowed his eyes.  “Not on purpose.”    
  
Peter sighed and shook his head.  “Fuck.”  
  
“You gon’ let it go?”  
  
“I’ll think about it.”  
  
“Ain’t worth it, boy,” Yondu said.  “Trust me on that one.  Ain’t no take worth it.”  
  
Peter nodded. “I just wish he trusted me enough to tell me.”  
  
“Ain’t about trustin’ ya,” Yondu said.  “He does.”  
  
“So he told you but not me.”  
  
“Shit, boy, use y’ damn head for once.  He didn’ hafta tell me because I know.  And so’d you if ya get that head a yours outta y’ ass for long enough t’ use it.”  
  
Peter frowned.  “If it was experiments, why not just say so?”  
  
“‘Cause he shouldn’t _hafta_.”  Yondu shook his head.  “Ain’t been many times I been disappointed in ya, Quill, but this is one of ‘em.”  He turned heel and left.

* * *

 

Rocket was awake when he got back, backed up into a corner and clutching Yondu’s jacket, eyes wide and watching the door.  Yondu was glad he’d left it.  
  
“Hey,” Yondu said.  
  
Rocket frowned.  “Where’d you go?”  
  
“Had t’ piss,” Yondu said, stretching.  “Ran inta Quill on the way.”    
  
“And?”  
  
Yondu started undoing the clasps on his shirt.  If he didn’t have the jacket, he might as well be bare-skinned if another nightmare came up.  “We’ll see,” he said.  He joined Rocket in bed and they curled up together.    
  
“Don’t leave again tonight.”  
  
Yondu swallowed and clenched his eyes shut.  “I won’t,” he promised.

* * *

Rocket was scarce the next day, the only evidence of his presence being a dirty mug here, a fixed-up relay there.  Yondu kept half an eye out for him all day but didn’t go looking.  Quill, who couldn’t disappear into the walls and ceilings, was more visible but not by much.  Yondu tried to keep track of him at the same time but given how big the Quadrant was for their core crew of eight, it was tricky work.    
  
So when he heard Quill’s voice in the mess later, he went to enter, but before he could he heard the familiar gravel of Rocket’s voice answering and he stopped.    
  
They were talking.  Talking was good.  Yondu leaned on the wall next to the door and listened as much as he could.  He couldn’t make out much but they were calm.  
  
Rocket left first and didn’t look surprised to see Yondu there.  Figured, the man had probably smelled him as soon as he walked up.  
  
“Stalker,” Rocket said.  
  
“Ain’t stalkin’ if we’re married.”  
  
Rocket rolled his eyes.  “Fine, I’ll give you that one,” he said before climbing up Yondu’s jacket.  
  
“How’s Quill?”  
  
“Bit less of an asshole today,” Rocket said, nuzzling Yondu’s neck.  “Thank you,” he murmured.  
  
“Weren’t me,” Yondu said.  
  
“Sure it was.  You raised him.”  
  
Yondu felt a smile tugging at his mouth and he reached up to scratch behind Rocket’s ears.  “Where to?”  
  
Rocket licked his neck.  “Anywhere.”


	22. Trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M-ish  
> Words: 357  
> Warnings: None (except fluff)
> 
> Rocket enjoys a lazy morning with a view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno why, but also another of my favorites <3

Rocket chewed at his lip as he watched Yondu.  He was on the other side of the room getting dressed for the morning shift on navigation, while Rocket was still curled up in their bed.  He’d pulled all the blankets up after Yondu left and was purring--just a little--surrounded by Yondu’s smell and the lingering warmth of his body.  
  
After getting up, Yondu had pulled his pants on after finding where they’d landed the night before, and Rocket had hidden his smile when he’d sucked his stomach in--just a little--to buckle his belt.  
  
Now Yondu was standing in front of his mirror, leaning forward and examining his jaw for any missed spots from his haphazard shaving job.  When he was satisfied he lifted his arms up over his head, stretching, then yawned and scratched his belly, smacking his lips.  
  
Rocket’s fist tightened around the blankets and he licked his lips.  
  
Yondu’s belly hung over his belt, just a bit.  Rocket’s gaze lingered there, following the trail of hair that disappeared beneath.    
  
Sometimes he tried to figure out how he’d gotten here.  Appearance-wise, Yondu wasn’t exactly his type--Yondu was probably no one’s type--but Rocket just couldn’t take his eyes off him.    
  
“Better not get drool on my pillow.”  
  
He'd been caught. Rocket snorted.  “Please, old man.  It’s tears from how ugly your ass is.”  
  
“Tears of joy from how hard I made ya come last night, maybe.”  
  
“Keep tellin’ yourself that,” Rocket said, but he was grinning.  
  
“Drax won’t mind if I’m a _little_ late...”  
  
“No.  You are not showing up late.  If you do, Drax will blame me, and then he'll lecture me about respecting other people's time.”  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “It’s usually y’ fault.”  
  
Rocket threw a pillow at him.  “Get goin’ ya blue idiot.”  
  
Yondu dodged, laughing, but obediently gathered up his shirt and jacket.  He finished dressing, watching Rocket the entire time.  
  
After he left, Rocket smiled and closed his eyes and buried his face in the blankets, daydreaming about a soft, chubby belly with a line of hair going all the way down.


	23. Juicy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> Words: 5794  
> Warnings: Threesome (Rocket/Mantis/Yondu), cunnilingus, vaginal sex, dash of angst because it goes with everything honestly, hurt/comfort, bit of fluff
> 
> Mantis has an unexpected request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. I have no justification for this. I idly thought that I'd like to try a threesome and my brain decided it would be great to fixate on one that would be a challenge. For ... fun? 
> 
> AndIreallymisswritingcunnilingus. 
> 
> *ahem*

Rocket could feel Yondu watching him during the entire meal.  They’d had a quiet week and other than some idle chatter, the Guardians also had a quiet dinner before trickling out to finish out the evening as they would.  Mantis was the last to go and she lingered in the doorway for a moment, looking at them, before she left.  
  
Rocket scowled at Yondu.  “What?”  
  
Yondu’s eyes widened.  “What?”  
  
“You been starin’ at me,” Rocket said.  “So what is it?”  
  
Yondu leaned back in his chair and rubbed his mouth.  “Wouldja ever consider a threesome?”  
  
“ _What?_ ”  
  
Yondu kept his hand over his mouth but Rocket could see the amusement.  “C’mon,” he said, standing and jerking his head.  “Le’s talk.”  
  
Rocket frowned at him and watched as he walked around, then climbed up the offered arm to Yondu’s shoulders.  “You find someone you want?” he asked, and his stomach twisted at the thought.  
  
“Not ‘zactly,” Yondu said.  “Like I said.  We’ll talk.”    
  
They got to their room and shut the door.  Rocket dropped down and climbed onto their bed, sitting cross-legged on one end.  Yondu sat down on the other, one foot on the floor, leaning back against the headboard.    
  
“So,” Rocket said.  
  
Yondu regarded him for a long moment.  “Mantis.”  
  
“...What.”  
  
“Mantis,” Yondu said.  “For a threesome.”  
  
“I’m sorry, _what?_ ”  
  
Yondu’s mouth twitched like he was trying to suppress a smile but Rocket didn’t find it very amusing.    
  
“Listen, old man,” he started, feeling a growl in his throat, “If you’re missin’ girls or whatever I get it but that is _not_ funny, you could just go out and find a whore bot--”  
  
Yondu held a hand up and Rocket stopped talking but he didn’t stop scowling.  “She asked me,” Yondu said.  
  
“She asked _you_ for sex,” Rocket said, staring, then he shook his head.  “No she did not.”  
  
“Y’ right,” Yondu said.    
  
“ _Ha_ , I _knew_ \--”  
  
“She asked _us_ for sex.”  
  
“I-- _what?_ ”  
  
“Ya keep sayin’ that but I’m pretty sure I’m bein’ clear.”  
  
“ _Why?_ ”  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Didn’ ask.  Said she’d hafta talk t’ both’a us.  Maybe she just likes furry assholes an’ it’s you she wants.”  
  
“Oh, look who’s talking!”  
  
“Mine ain’t furry an’ ya know it!”  
  
A beat of silence passed, then Rocket started snickering and Yondu grinned as it dissolved into all-out laughter.  Eventually, Rocket was able to catch his breath.  “Okay,” he said, holding his stomach.  “Okay, though, really?”  
  
Yondu nodded, frowning a little and looking just past Rocket.  “Asked if we could talk, said she had a personal question an’ she’s been wonderin’ ‘bout sex, wondered if we might consider helpin’ with that.”  
  
“Wondering about sex,” Rocket repeated, then sat up straighter.  “Wait, she _hasn’t had sex_ and she asked _you_ about _us_ bein’ the first?”  
  
“‘S about it,” Yondu said.  
  
Rocket narrowed his eyes.  “This better not be some colossal joke, old man.”  
  
Yondu stretched on his leg to try to kick him but Rocket dodged.  “Ain’t a joke,” he grunted.  “Stick an arrow in my heart.”  
  
“That ain’t funny, neither,” Rocket said, still dodging the foot.  “One day you’re goin’ full senile on me and you’ll actually do that.”  
  
Yondu pouted at him.  “Why ya gotta be mean?”  
  
“‘Cause I’m a professional asshole,” Rocket said.    
  
“Yer a smartass rat is whatcha are,” Yondu said, relenting after one more failed attempt to catch Rocket with his foot.  He held out an arm.    
  
“Better than bein’ a blue idiot,” Rocket said, crawling forward to settle on Yondu’s lap.  “So we gonna meet with her, or, say yes, or, what?”  
  
“Le’s talk with ‘er, then we talk, then we decide,” Yondu said.  
  
Rocket nodded and stretched up to settle his snout on Yondu’s neck.  He licked his favorite spot, right below Yondu’s ear.  “You ever miss girls?” he asked.  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Sometimes.  Not really.  You?”  
  
Rocket thought about it for a few moments.  “Sometimes.  Hard to miss anything when I got you.”  
  
“Now _that_ was sentiment.”  
  
“And if you tell anyone, I’ll shoot you.”

* * *

With so much spare space on the Quadrant, it was easy to find places for a quiet meeting or a private talk.  Rocket set up a few locks so they wouldn’t be disturbed, and he and Yondu joined Mantis at a table.  They sat close together, Rocket perched on a chair arm to be taller, and Mantis sat across from them.  
  
“You must have questions,” Mantis said.  
  
“That’s ... yeah,” Rocket said.  He frowned, scratching at the table with one claw.  “ _Why?_ ”  
  
Mantis licked her lips, glanced to the side, then back at them.  “I was isolated on Ego’s planet.  I met his children when they came, and sometimes other people when he collected them himself and took me.  Ego was not interested in me that way, and there was never time with anyone else.  I am an adult, I have desires, and I want to know what it is like.”  
  
“That part I get,” Rocket said.  “Believe me, I really do.  But why _us?_ ”  
  
Mantis gave them a small smile.  “Because of the way you treat each other.  Many others ... they treat Rocket like a child, or an animal, and Yondu does neither.  Others treat me like a child, and look at me strangely because of my antennae, and talk down to me because I am different.  Neither of you has ever done that.  And I wish to be with someone I trust the first time, not a stranger.  Gamora would have been my first choice, but she is only attracted to males.”  
  
Rocket and Yondu glanced at each other.  
  
“So you’re saying,” Rocket said, “You want it to be us because Yondu’s nice to me?”  
  
“Because he treats you like a person,” Mantis said, nodding.  “No matter what you look like.  And you do not care what each other look like.  And since I came here, the two of you and Gamora are the only ones who I have never felt patronized by.”  
  
“You know he calls me a rat,” Rocket said, only to get elbowed.  
  
Mantis’s gaze, though, softened, and she smiled.  “Yes,” she said.  “And it is in those moments that I can most feel his love for you.”  
  
Yondu’s mouth opened, then closed, then he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, exhaling through his nose.   “Okay,” he said.  “Ya can’t do that.”  
  
“Do what?” Mantis asked, looking between them.  
  
“Say stuff like ... like that.”  
  
“Because you wish to tell him yourself?”  
  
Rocket started snickering.  
  
“Somethin’ like that,” Yondu said through clenched teeth.  
  
“ _I_ don’t mind if you say stuff like that,” Rocket said, grinning.  
  
Mantis perked up.  “It feels like when you call him an idiot, then,” she said.  “At first I thought it was strange but I have learned that it is how you say you love him.”  
  
Rocket stared at her.  He could _feel_ Yondu’s smirk.  “Right,” he muttered.  “Okay.  No sayin’ stuff like that.”  
  
Mantis’s smile faded.  “Oh.”  
  
“Look it ain’t you,” Rocket said.  “It’s just ... uh.”  He scratched behind his ear.    
  
“Jus’, no feelings talk,” Yondu said.  
  
Mantis looked between them, then her eyes widened for a moment and her small smile returned.  “You are uncomfortable with displays of affection,” she said.  “I assumed you only liked them to be private but you are actually uncomfortable.”  
  
“Oh my god,” Rocket said, burying his face in his hands.  
  
Yondu sighed.  “Ain’t we here for somethin’ else?”  
  
“Yes,” Mantis said.  “I will not discuss any more feelings.”  
  
“Or mess with ‘em.”  
  
“Or manipulate them,” she agreed.  
  
“Okay,” Rocket said.  “So, if we do say yes, this wouldn’t be some kind of thing, right?  Just a one-time deal.”  
  
“Correct,” Mantis said.  “And then I would have a better idea of what to expect and could find other partners as I wish, or not.”  
  
“And it wouldn’t get weird,” Rocket said.  
  
“How could it get weird?” Mantis asked.  
  
“Sex makes some people funny,” Yondu said.  “They get clingy, or they stop talkin’, or both.”  
  
“I have never had sex,” Mantis pointed out, “So I do not know how I will feel.  But I know that I only wish to experience it with people I trust, and I know that right now I expect nothing of you outside of that.”  
  
“What if we say no?” Yondu asked, frowning.  
  
Mantis frowned.  “What do you mean?”  
  
“If we say no, do things get weird?”  
  
“Oh,” she said.  “No.  I will respect your answer and I will not ask again.  I hope that nothing would change between us.”  
  
Yondu exhaled and looked at Rocket, who tilted his head in answer.    
  
“Give us a minute, bug,” Yondu said.  
  
“Of course,” Mantis said, standing with a smile for them before leaving.  
  
Rocket and Yondu looked at each other.  
  
“Well,” Yondu said.  
  
“Well?”  
  
“Whaddya think?”  
  
“What do _you_ think?”  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Not the worst thing I ever been asked t’ do.”  
  
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we _have_ to.  Question is do we want to.”  
  
Yondu frowned a little, head tilting.  “‘S got an appeal,” he said.  
  
“Yeah.”  Rocket fidgeted a little and was glad for his fur when he felt his face heat.  “...Sometimes I miss the way women taste.”  
  
Yondu stared at him, then shifted in his chair.  “Fuck.”  
  
Rocket smirked.  “You just get hard?”  
  
Yondu sighed.  “Maybe.”  
  
“Look, I’ll be honest,” Rocket said.  “Always hated the thought of you with anyone else.  But ... never thought about it with me there, and ... I dunno, I kinda like it.”  
  
Yondu rubbed his hand over his mouth.  “Me too.”  
  
“Me watchin’ you with someone or the other way ‘round?”  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Both.”  
  
“Okay,” Rocket said, quickly so he wouldn’t get too distracted by that image, “But this wouldn’t exactly be like a whore or somethin’.  She’s never done this.”  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
“We could make it good,” Yondu said.  
  
Rocket stared at him before shaking his head with a bark of a laugh.  “Yeah, we could.”  
  
“So who’s gonna tell ‘er?”  
  
Rocket chuckled.  “Think that’s both’a us.”

* * *

Rocket pulled at a thread in the blanket as Yondu undressed for bed that night.  He was scowling, glaring at the blanket as though it had done something.  “Hey,” he said, voice low.  
  
“Mm?”  
  
“Don’t kiss her, okay?”  
  
He heard the pause in Yondu’s movement, then the turn towards him.  Rocket looked up.  
  
Yondu was frowning, looking at him, but after just a moment he nodded.  “I won’t.”  
  
Rocket exhaled, the twist in his chest that had been sitting there since they’d agreed to Mantis’s request loosening.  He nodded.  ‘’Kay.”  
  
Yondu walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge.  He reached out to press his hand to the side of Rocket’s face and Rocket licked his wrist.  “Anything else?” he asked.  
  
Rocket shook his head.  “Just that.”

* * *

They agreed to wait for a day when the ship would be largely empty, and when they came up on their next trading planet, Mantis declined to join the rest of the Guardians on a trip.  It left her, Yondu, and Rocket alone on the bridge.  
  
“Is now a good time?” Mantis asked.  
  
“I actually do gotta get on some repairs while we’re in a stable orbit,” Rocket said, jumping up.  “Should take about an hour.”  
  
“They’ll be gone longer than that,” Yondu said.  “Quill loved this port as a kid, he’ll drag ‘em everywhere.”  
  
“So in one hour I will be in my room,” Mantis said, and it was impossible to miss the way her antennae quivered.  
  
“We’ll be there,” Yondu said, standing.  Rocket darted over and climbed up his jacket to his shoulders, staying there as Yondu left the bridge.  
  
“I hope you’re on your way to the shower,” Rocket said.  
  
“‘Course I am,” Yondu said.  “Want her to enjoy it.”  
  
Rocket grinned.  “Good,” he said, and licked under Yondu’s ear.  “Don’t forget your teeth, Ravager.”  
  
“Ah, go work on your repairs,” Yondu grumbled, but he nodded.

* * *

Rocket showered quickly after his repairs--he wasn’t going to bring grit into Mantis’s bed--and towel dried as best as he could.  He went to pick up his suit, all buckles and synth-leather, then frowned and decided on cloth pants and a tank instead.  It wasn’t like he was going to need the suit, or much of anything for very long.  
  
Yondu was leaning on the wall outside Mantis’s door when Rocket got there, biting at his nails.  He raised an eyebrow at Rocket.  
  
“It’s comfy,” Rocket protested.    
  
Yondu shrugged.  “Ready?”  
  
Rocket’s stomach did a little flip and he nodded.  Since they’d talked about it, imagining this had taken up most of his spare thinking time.  “You?”  
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said, and Rocket reached up to chime at the door.  
  
Mantis opened it from inside, giving both of them a small smile.  “Come in,” she said, and went over to her bed, sitting on the edge.  She was wearing a simple skirt with a button-down shirt, and Rocket immediately started imagining popping them open.  
  
“Just wanna check,” Yondu said, “Still wanna do this?”  
  
“I have thought very much about it and I am certain that I do,” Mantis said.  “Are you both certain as well?”  
  
“Yeah, we’re still good,” Yondu said.  He glanced down at Rocket, who nodded, then looked back to Mantis.  “One thing.  You an’ me, no kissin’ on the mouth.”  
  
Mantis gave him a small frown and looked between them.  
  
“Ain’t anything 'cause’a you,” Yondu said.  
  
Mantis tilted her head, then her eyes widened as she was looking at Rocket.  “Because you cannot,” she said.  “Not in the same way.”  
  
Rocket shifted, shrugged, and scratched behind his ear.  “Somethin’ like that.”  
  
“I understand,” Mantis said.  “No kissing, and no talking of feelings.”  
  
Yondu nodded.    
  
After a beat of silence, Mantis shifted.  Her hands, which had been folded and still in her lap, started to fidget.  “What should I do...?”  
  
“Relax,” Rocket said, as Yondu sat down next to her and covered her hands with one of his.    
  
“Should I undress?”  
  
“We’ll take care’a that,” Yondu said, leaning in to press his mouth against her neck.    
  
Rocket enjoyed watching her eyes flutter shut and her head tilt away.  Yondu lifted his free hand and put it on her neck, but it didn’t stay there for very long, starting a downward path that began at her collar.  His finger dipped down, tracing the cut of her shirt, over the very top of her breasts.  
  
Rocket smelled a faint tang that set his heart beating just a little faster.  He jumped onto the bed on her other side and lifted his head to lick the other side of his neck as Yondu started following the path his fingers had taken.    
  
Rocket turned his focus to the way her skin tasted and how different it felt from Yondu’s.  He’d never spent much time licking his partners before Yondu, and when he had, it was more of an accident than anything else. Now it was something purposeful and something he enjoyed more than most everything.    
  
Yondu’s skin was scratchy with stubble, salty from sweat, smelling and even tasting a little like leather.  Mantis, though, had cool, smooth skin that smelled clean and tasted almost like spices.  “You taste good,” Rocket murmured.  
  
“Thank you,” Mantis breathed.  One of her hands went to the back of Rocket’s head and tangled in his fur.  She tugged and Rocket nipped, lightly, just barely scratching her skin.  She jumped a little and Rocket felt the shiver.  
  
Yondu moved further onto the bed and drew her with, guiding her onto her back.  Rocket crawled up as Yondu pressed his mouth back to Mantis’s collar.  His hand rested on her stomach, moving in small circles.  Each circle pulled her shirt up just a little until Yondu was touching skin.  Mantis arched a little into his hand and Rocket settled by her hip to watch the slow upward tease.  
“Doin’ good?” Yondu asked.  
  
Mantis licked her lips and nodded.  “Yes,” she said, and made a quiet sound when Yondu’s fingers pushed up far enough to brush under her breasts.  Rocket couldn’t take it any longer and started in on the buttons, undoing them carefully, one at a time so as not to damage the cloth with his claws.  
  
While Rocket worked on the buttons, Yondu pulled his hand out and placed it on top of her shirt, right over the curve of one breast.  He squeezed and Mantis pushed up, shivers rising up on her arms and belly, and Rocket could see her nipple through her shirt.  The tang in the air grew stronger and Rocket had to fight the urge to move his nose right to the source.    
  
When Rocket finished the last button, one side of her shirt fell open.  She shivered again as Yondu continued to rub her through the cloth and Rocket could see he’d caught her nipple between two fingers.  He shifted his attention to her exposed breast and crawled up, licking the curve.  Mantis’s hand found his head again and when his tongue moved over her nipple her fist tightened.  She arched up and Rocket nuzzled her skin before licking again, a light flick of his tongue.  
  
“He’s got a nice tongue, don’ ‘e,” Yondu said, and Rocket glanced up to see the curl of a smirk on blue lips.  
  
“Yes,” Mantis said, a breath of a word as Rocket continued to taste her.    
  
Yondu’s hand squeezed one more time before lifting away, letting the other side of her blouse slip away.  “Y’ right beautiful, bug,” he said.  
  
Mantis gave him a small smile.  “You do not have to lie to me.”  
  
Rocket lifted his head, frowning.  
  
Yondu tilted his head, brows furrowed.  “I ain’t lyin’,” he said.  His hand went to her neck and trailed down before tracing the curve of her breast.  “Not even a little.”  
  
Mantis looked confused for a moment.  “I am not your species, it would be understandable for you to not find me beautiful.”  
  
“Maybe you ain’t noticed,” Rocket said, “That really ain’t a thing for us.”  
  
Yondu brushed his thumb over her nipple and she made a quiet sound.  “Do I feel like I’m lyin’?”  
  
The tips of her antennae glowed for a moment, then Mantis shook her head.  
  
“Good,” Yondu said, and leaned down, pressing his mouth to her breast.  Mantis arched, gasped, and her hips lifted up.  The tang in the air was making Rocket dizzy with want and he felt his cock slipping free.  
  
“Sh-should I, ah, do anything?” Mantis asked.  
  
“Whatever ya want,” Yondu said between licks.  
  
Mantis licked her lips and nodded and lifted her hand, brushing her knuckles near Yondu’s hip.  Rocket could see the outline of his cock through his pants and he reached over, taking Mantis’s wrist in his hand and guiding her there. She squeezed and Yondu groaned against her skin.  
  
With the two of them nicely occupied like that, Rocket crawled down.  He brushed his claws down her leg until he reached skin, and then retraced the same path upward, this time pushing the skirt out of his way.  When he reached her hip he followed with his tongue and he heard Mantis sigh.  Her skin was warmer here and spicier than her neck, the smell driving Rocket forward under her skirt.  
  
“Y’ever been touched there before?” Yondu murmured.  
  
Rocket lifted his gaze for long enough to see her lick her lips.  
  
“I have touched myself,” she breathed.  
  
Rocket’s cock throbbed and he brought his tongue back to her thigh, crawling forward.  His nose hit cloth, hot and damp, and he inhaled deeply before licking at the spot.  The sound Mantis made, a soft, breathless moan, made his hips push forward and he licked again.  The skirt was pulled up and one of Mantis’s hands came to rest on his head and Rocket nuzzled her.  He palmed himself through his pants, needing to relieve some of the ache there before her scent made him completely lose control.  He could hear every breath, smell her arousal and Yondu’s, and every moment that passed was making it harder to stop himself from tearing the cloth away.  
  
And then, “ _Please_ ,” Mantis gasped, as she reached down and pulled the garment out of the way herself.  With Rocket’s next lick he truly tasted her for the first time and he shuddered.  She whimpered, grabbing for his head, and Rocket heard Yondu’s breath grow harsh.  He kept his licks light, staying on top of her lips. Her hair didn’t feel like anything he’d encountered before, spiced like the rest of her, and when he pulled back to look, he was reminded of a moth’s antennae.  Smooth and feathered, iridescent in the light.   Rocket’s mouth watered and he leaned back in.  
  
He didn’t really want to remember the last time he’d tasted a woman, but it was hard not to.  It was from before Yondu, before being treated like a person in bed--or against a dirty alley wall-- and Rocket hated even the memory of what that felt like.  But he couldn’t deny that he’d missed the act itself, and it had been a long time.  And Mantis... Every flick of his tongue produced a new gasp, a shiver, the tightening of fingers in his fur.  She smelled clean, felt warm, tasted spicy like the rest of her body.    
  
“Feels good?” Yondu murmured and Rocket glanced up in time to see Mantis nodding.  He smiled to himself and buried his nose back in, exploring a little bit lower, slipping between her folds.  There was a sharp taste to her clit, a hint of bitterness amidst the spice, and when Rocket reached up with his fingers to spread her open Mantis’s hips thrust up.  He knew he had an advantage on most baldies in this particular act, but he’d always taken some pride in how easily he could make bed partners squirm.  Mantis was no different in that regard, wet and pulsing beneath him, and when he snuck his tongue inside her for a better taste, she cried out his name.  
  
Rocket purred, and just like that, the smell of Yondu’s musk was nearly as strong as Mantis’s.  She quivered around and beneath him, and just a few licks later, her thighs squeezed around his head and Rocket was trapped as she shook.  
  
Not that he minded, of course.  
  
When her legs parted again and Rocket lifted his head, his muzzle was soaked with her wetness.  He licked his lips, watching her naked chest rise and fall as she recovered.  Rocket looked up at Yondu, whose face was flushed.  Mantis’s hand rested on his thigh, unmoving.  
  
“Fuck,” Yondu said with a short laugh.  “Never seen a gal come that fast in my life.”  
  
Rocket smirked at him and wiped his chin.    
  
“That was amazing,” Mantis said.  She pushed herself up on one elbow, hand slipping off Yondu.  “Should we now...”  
  
“How ya feelin’?” Yondu asked.  
  
Mantis bit her lower lip and Rocket wanted to climb up her front to lick it.  “Good,” she murmured, then with a small smile, “Empty.” Rocket felt an all-too-familiar throb between his legs.  
  
“Take these off,” he said, tugging at her underwear and Mantis nodded, shimmying out of both them and the skirt.  As she did, Yondu gestured for Rocket to come to him and Rocket crawled forward into the Ravager’s lap.    
  
Yondu’s fingers were immediately in his fur and tugging at his clothes and helping him strip.  Rocket growled, low in his throat, and rocked forward when Yondu palmed his cock.  He bit down on Yondu’s collar, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to feel a shudder.  
  
“Fuck y’ hot,” Yondu murmured.  “Hard not t’ spread my legs for ya myself.”  
  
“I would not mind,” Mantis said, a smile in her voice as she watched them.    
  
Rocket relaxed his bite and licked at the marks he’d left on Yondu’s skin.  “Yeah, but that ain’t what we said we’d do,” he said, and looked up into red eyes.  He smirked, a promise in it, and knew Yondu understood when he smirked in answer  Yondu rubbed his cock once more and Rocket returned the favor, then turned back to Mantis.  
  
She was sitting, naked, breath light and quick and her thighs squeezed tight.  When Yondu’s hands brushed over her shoulders, she relaxed back against him and spread her legs apart.  
  
Rocket’s hands shook a little as he moved in front of her.  It was hard to concentrate through the haze of _need_ in his mind and everything felt a little muffled and fuzzy.  Then her fingers brushed his cock he froze, gripping her thigh.  She stroked, exploring, head tilted curiously.  
  
“It feels good?” she asked, fingers moving up and down his length.  
  
Rocket nodded.  “Yeah.  Yeah, it ... mm.  Yeah.”  
  
“Gonna make ‘im pop, bug,” Yondu chuckled.  
  
Her fingers disappeared and Rocket couldn’t help the little whine of disappointment, but it left him free to crawl forward.  “You ready?” he asked Mantis.  
  
“I am,” she said, her breath growing quicker.    
  
The noise she made when Rocket pushed inside her was a soft as the rest, but there was something _needy_ about this one. There was no resistance in her body with as wet as she was, just as Rocket had hoped.    
  
“Okay?” he asked, and Mantis nodded.  
  
“Very okay,” she said.  
  
Rocket nodded and settled his weight on his knees to make thrusting easier.  His nose brushed her skin and Yondu reached around her, one hand resting on each breast.  He was massaging them and a flush rose up Mantis’s neck and face.  Rocket tried an experimental rock of his hips and her cunt flexed around him.  
  
“ _Damn_ ,” he breathed, and started thrusting, licking her belly as he did.   The smell of sex from all around made it hard for him to pace himself, especially with as thick as Yondu’s arousal was.  Together, the tang of Mantis’s body and the heavy musk from Yondu’s made Rocket feel like he was drunk, only it was _so_ much better than being drunk.  
  
He’d hoped to last long enough for her to come again, but it didn’t take long for him to accept that wasn’t going to happen.  He hissed a curse as he felt a tightening in his belly and then he was grabbing onto her as he came, pressing fully in and holding there.  
  
“ _Oh_ wow,” he murmured, and looked up.  Mantis was smiling.    
  
“I enjoyed that,” she said.  Rocket could still smell fresh arousal coming from her.  
  
“You ain’t done,” he said, grinning as he panted.  He pulled out of her and moved out of the way and Yondu moved from behind her.  
  
“Don’ worry, gal, we’ll get that itch scratched.”  
  
Mantis smiled and hummed, eyes fixed on Yondu as he undressed.  Her gaze lingered on his cock and her legs spread a little when Yondu took himself in hand and stroked before climbing onto the bed.  He moved between her legs and reached a hand down, testing her for slickness.  Rocket could tell the moment his fingers pushed into her from the way she whimpered and squirmed, then he drew his hand back and lined himself up.    
  
He pushed in slower than Rocket had and Rocket watched with lazy contentment as Yondu started rocking into her.  One of her hands found Rocket’s head again and she hissed a little, grip tightening.    
  
Yondu stopped.  “Hurt?”  
  
“No,” Mantis said.  “It feels good.  Different.”  
  
Yondu nodded and continued and Mantis gasped, shivers breaking out across her skin.  Rocket pressed his face to her neck and started licking right under her ear.  She shivered, then moaned as Yondu covered her.  
  
When she came again, Rocket swore that the taste of her skin changed.    
  
Yondu grunted a moment later and shuddered, then slumped, breathing heavy.    
  
“Doin’ okay?” he murmured.  
  
“Yes,” Mantis said, breathless.  “I enjoyed that.”  
  
“Good,” Yondu said, moving off her and flopping down next to her. 

Rocket met his eyes.  The musk of Yondu's cum was mixing with the tang of Mantis's wetness, and Yondu gave him a knowing look.  Rocket's mouth started watering again and he licked the spot under Mantis's ear one more time before shuffling down.  Her hand came to rest on top of his head as he crawled between her legs.

"What are you..." Mantis murmured, and then gasped when Rocket nuzzled into her wetness, licking at the source of the intoxicating smell.  Yondu's familiar taste mixed with Mantis's spice and Rocket felt himself purring as he worked on licking her clean.  Her pulse was picking back up, hot under his tongue, and he heard a breathless moan.  Her fingers curled in his fur and tugged him in. 

If eating her out the first time had been enjoyable, Rocket thought licking Yondu's cum out of her soaking cunt was just about magical.  His own cock was stirring lazily, but he wasn't interesting in coaxing himself back to arousal, even if he thought he could.  He wanted to savor this and see if he could bring Mantis to peak one more time. 

She came with a whimper, short and soft.  For a moment she was frozen, holding Rocket against her, legs quivering on either side of his head.  Her cunt twitched under his tongue, the smell and taste of her flooding him anew. 

She sagged after a moment.  Rocket licked her one more time, making her shiver, before he crawled up to tuck himself against her side. 

"Love that tongue 'a yours," Yondu said, reaching across Mantis to put his hand on Rocket's waist.  
  
“You do not have to stay,” Mantis murmured sleepily.  
  
“Jus’ for a while,” Yondu said.  Rocket smiled and cuddled up to Mantis before drifting off.

* * *

Later, when showers had happened and everyone was back on board the ship, Rocket found Yondu in their room.    
  
“What’d you think?” he asked.  
  
Yondu shrugged.  “It was nice,” he said.  “Glad to help the bug out.  She gets a good first memory outta it.”  
  
Rocket paused in his undressing, frowning.  His introduction to sex hadn’t been exactly ... romantic.  Or even the slightest bit pleasant.  It made his skin to crawl to think about, and for a long time after, there hadn’t been much improvement.  He’d never asked, but he couldn’t imagine Yondu’s had been much better, and in all liklihood it had been worse.  
  
“Wonder what it coulda been like,” he muttered, mostly to himself.  He heard Yondu shift.  This wasn’t something they talked about.  “If it hadn’t been so...”  
  
“Fucked?”  
  
Rocket huffed.  “One way to put it.”  He finished pulling his suit off and briefly went down to all fours to get the slight start he needed for the easy jump onto the bed.  Yondu’s hand immediately tangled in his fur.  
  
“If ya weren’t so fucked, ya’d never put up with my ass,” Yondu said.  
  
“I _do_ like your ass,” Rocket agreed.  He curled with his nose to Yondu’s neck.  The thing was, Rocket wouldn’t exist without that fucked up start.  It was that or nothing for him.  Yondu could’ve had it differently.  He’d been born as a whole person, undamaged, and he’d been torn down to what he was now instead of being built up to it.  “You coulda...” he murmured, unsure of why he was even saying it.  A sharp tug on his fur made him stop.    
  
“Ain’t no point,” Yondu said quietly.  His pulse was speeding up, Rocket could feel it under the skin in his neck.  “Are what we are.”  Something about his voice sounded tattered and Rocket smelled salt.  When he looked up, there were tears running down his Ravager’s crinkly blue skin.  
  
Without thinking, Rocket licked at them, and then Yondu was holding him tight enough to hurt, face buried against his chest, breath coming hot and sharp into his fur.  His shoulders shook and the sobs were muffled but Rocket could feel every part of them.  Rocket wrapped his arms around him and held him just as tightly in turn as a sludge-like weight settled into his chest.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding helpless even to his own ears.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ... I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...”  
  
“‘S okay,” Yondu forced out.  “Weren’t you.”  
  
Rocket wasn’t sure if he meant that Rocket hadn’t been the one to hurt him, or that the tears weren’t his fault.  So he let Yondu clutch him and licked what he could reach until the sobs had run their course and Yondu’s breath started to even out.  
  
“We could do that again, with a gal,” Yondu finally said.  “But no more first times.”  
  
Rocket closed his eyes.  “No more first times.”  
  
Yondu’s grip relaxed.  “Glad I found ya,” he said, and then with a small laugh, “Rat.”  
  
Rocket licked him again and the weight in his chest eased, turning instead into something warm and smooth that filled his entire body.  “You’re an idiot, you know,” he murmured, wondering how it was possible to feel so stupidly happy from just one little word.  
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said.  He shifted back and tilted his head to look at Rocket.  “I know.”


	24. Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Words: 2431  
> Warnings: Canon-typical violence, injury
> 
> This time, "flying blind" means just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ... I actually got really bored with while writing it, but I was already too far in and trying to keep to my goal of starting and finishing a prompt in one day (and then I ended up spending three days on it). I kind of think it shows, but I like the original idea and it is posted for purposes of completion.

Rocket tore off his aero-rig as he climbed out of his ship.  The console behind him was still sparking but the Quadrant looked like it had taken a big hit so he figured there were more important things to attend to.  
  
Peter met him outside the bridge, jaw clenched and arms crossed.    
  
“Sorry,” Rocket said.  “They got a hit on me and--”  
  
“Where have _you_ been?”  
  
Rocket scowled. “Hiding in an asteroid field with my weapons and comms blown out, where have you been?”  
  
Peter shifted.  Rocket could see the tendons in his jaw tightening like Yondu’s did when he was biting something back.  “We have a situation,” he said.  
  
“I saw,” Rocket said, starting towards the bridge.  “What’d you get hit by?”  
  
“That’s fine, that isn’t it,” Peter said.  “It’s ... Rocket.  Rocket, _stop_.”  
  
Rocket thought about ignoring him, but something about his voice made him stop and look back.  “If it ain’t that...”  
  
“It’s Yondu.  He ran into some kind of booby trap.”  
  
Rocket‘s heart thudded. “Skrull don’t use booby traps.”  
  
“Right, but, he ran into one,” Peter said.  
  
“ _And?_ ”  Rocket’s fingers twitched towards his gun.  
  
Peter didn’t answer right away.  
  
“ _Is he alive or not, Quill!_ ”  
  
Rocket hated the way his voice shrieked, but his heart was so loud in his ears he could barely hear it.  
  
“What?  Oh!  He’s still alive, I mean, at least, for now, but--”  
  
“Pete, y’ain’t helpin’ and we ain’t got time!”  
  
Rocket zeroed in on Kraglin’s voice.  There would be no flustered stuttering there, just the facts of what was and what needed to happen.  “What’s going on?”  
  
“Somethin’ hit him in the face.  He seems fine ‘cept for his eyes.  He got on some kinda craft an’ killed the pilot, but he can’t see.”  
  
“Can’t _see?_ ”  
  
“Flyin’ blind,” Kraglin said.  
  
“Shit,” Rocket said, dashing onto the bridge. “Where’s a loud blue idiot when you need one?” he demanded.  
  
“Never been so happy ta hear a smartass rat in my life!” Yondu’s voice answered.    
  
Rocket climbed up onto a chair, looking down at the console and touching the speaker with his claws.  “How’s it goin’?”  
  
“Been better.”  
  
Rocket looked around at the other Guardians.  “So where is he?  Let’s go.”  
  
“They have a net around the base,” Peter said.  “We can’t get in.  Yondu has to get out.”  
  
“You say that like it’s easy, boy,” Yondu said.  “Hard ta fly what I can’t see.”  
  
“Nets go two ways,” Rocket said.  “Gettin’ out will set it off as much as gettin’ in, we should just go get him.”    
  
“Not this one,” Kraglin said.  “‘Least ‘cause’a that ship he got.  It’s one’a theirs, shouldn’t set off anything.  We can wait outside but he’s gotta get to it.  ’Less ya wanna thousand Skrull ta realize we ain’t dead.”  
  
“Shit,” Rocket muttered again, pressing his palms over his eyes.  He held there for a moment, not speaking, not moving.  
  
“Rocket, we don’t have--”  
  
“I’m _thinking_ ,” Rocket snarled at Quill.  “Unless you got any ideas!”  
  
“We have located his craft,” Gamora said, pulling up a map.  “It is too far away to get a visual.”  
  
“How about hacking the systems?” Rocket asked.  “Do we know what kind of ship it is?”  
  
“It is broadcasting this identity,” Gamora said, pulling the crits up to the main display.  
  
Rocket looked at it, then cursed.  
  
“Stop doin’ that,” Yondu’s voice crackled up at him. “It don’ inspire confidence.”  
  
“How about you stop gettin’ stuck blind on X-Class ships, and I’ll think about it,” Rocket told him.  
  
“X-Class?  Shit.”  
  
“Toldja,” Rocket muttered.    
  
“Why is that important?” Gamora asked.  
  
“Ain’t no one gonna hack an X-Class,” Kraglin said.  “Leastways not ‘fore the Cap’n’s been blasted t’ bits.”  
  
“Yer a real joy, Kraglin,” Yondu said.  
  
“So how will he fly out to meet us?” Drax asked, and everyone looked at Rocket.  
  
Rocket glared at the screen showing Yondu’s position.  It also gave them an idea of the ships and obstacles around that point.  “Is it a new ship?”  
  
“Does it _matter?_ ” Peter asked.  
  
“This ident belongs to a make of X-Class that was mostly popular a few decades back,” Rocket said.  “But it doesn’t tell me which model it is, and they all had slightly different console layouts.  They just released a new line as a throwback 'bout a month ago.  If it’s a new one, that tells me where everything is.”  
  
“How?” Drax asked. “You have never flown one.”  
  
“I check out the specs when new models get released,” Rocket said, then when silence answered him, he looked around.  Everyone was staring.  “Do you _not?_ ”  
  
“Can’t say I do, no,” Peter said.  “So what’s the verdict, Yondu?  Old or new?”  
  
“Definitely new,” Yondu said, and Rocket finally felt something other than a weight in his chest.  
  
“How could you possible tell that?” Drax asked, scowling.  “It makes no sense!”  
  
“Smells new,” Peter, Kraglin, Rocket, and Yondu answered in unison.  
  
Drax looked between them, frowning, then gave a thoughtful nod.  
  
“Okay, ya blue idiot, I’m gonna get you out of there,” Rocket said.  “But you have to do everything I say, exactly how I say it.”  
  
There was a long pause.  “I bet we could take a thousand Skrull.”  
  
“You’re flyin’ out, old man.”  
  
“So y’ sayin’ y’ my only hope,” Yondu said.  
  
“That’s what I’m sayin’.”  
  
“In that case, I think I should apologize for fartin’ in yer face the other night when you was li--”  
  
“ _Speaker!_ ” Peter’s voice cracked.  He cleared his throat, face turning red.  “Dear god, Yondu, please, you’re on speaker.”  
  
Rocket smirked.  
  
“I know that,” Yondu said.  “I ain’t senile.”  
  
“Oh my god,” Peter muttered, covering his eyes with his hand.  
  
“I’ll let it go this time,” Rocket said.  “You in the pilot’s seat?”  
  
“It’s pretty comfy.”  
  
“Good.  Reach forward with your left hand, you’ll find the console.”  
  
“Got it.”  
  
“Move your hand left along the edge until you hit a small corner.”  He waited until Yondu grunted.  “There should be a welding seam there, feel it?”  
  
“It’s there.”  
  
“Put your middle finger and index finger together and put your middle finger on the seam.  Follow it straight up, stop when you feel the third button.  When you have it, move straight right and you’ll have your thrust controls.  Nothin’ fancy there, standard control type.”  
  
“Found it,” Yondu said, sounding relieved.  
  
“Yeah, well, we ain’t got to the steering yet, and _that_ they decided to fancy up,” Rocket said.  He looked to Peter.  “Quill, I’m sendin’ you some coordinates, can you get us there without getting found?”  
  
“On it,” Peter said and Rocket turned his attention back to Yondu.    
  
“Alright, old man, try to keep up here,” Rocket said.  He heard Yondu snort and hoped he would be hearing about it later.  “Right hand, straight forward, find the edge of the console.  Given where the seat is you should be able to feel around until you feel a round control near the edge.  It’s raised up and turns but _don’t_ turn it, that sets weapons strength and it’ll bring your weapons system online.”  
  
“That don’t sound like a bad thing.”  
  
“If it’s hooked into their fleet, it’ll send out an alarm,” Rocket said.  “Don’t turn it.”  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
“Found it, ain’t turned it.”  
  
“Good.”  Rocket closed his eyes and held his own hand up, picturing the console.  “Go straight up from there, count two buttons and one lever, and then you should feel plexi.”  
  
Silence, then, “I feel it.  It’s a square, ‘bout as big as my hand.”  
  
“That’s it,” Rocket said.  “That’s the steering.”  
  
“ _What?_ ”  
  
“It’s the new thing,” Rocket said.  “Pressure and motion moves the craft.  I’m not sure which direction you’re facing so first is a small test.  Forward thrust, just a little, and with your fingers on the controls put pressure on your middle finger.  Don’t move it.”  He opened his eyes to watch the readings of Yondu’s commandeered ship on their screen.    
  
“Okay, pull back on thrusters,” he said.  “You need to turn left. Pressure on thumb, index, and middle, and forward thrust again.”  
  
“Is it workin’?” Yondu asked.  
  
Rocket watched the ship move in a slight arc to the left.  “Yeah, it’s working.  Let up on thumb and index, keep pressure on your middle finger.  With any luck, you’ll fly straight towards us.”  
  
“Dude, you don’t say ‘with any luck!’” Peter protested.  
  
“Why not?” Drax asked. “He will indeed need luck for any one of the numerous obstacles that could prevent his escape from arising.  He could be discovered at any time or run straight into an object that does not appear on our sensors.”  
  
“Well yeah but you still don’t say it!”  
  
“How’s it comin’, Quill?” Rocket asked, gaze not moving from the map showing him where Yondu was.  
  
“We’ll get there.  Shouldn’t be any problems.”  
  
“Dude!”  
  
“What?”  
  
“‘ _Shouldn’t be any problems?_ ’”  
  
“Oh.”  Peter frowned.  “Hm.”  
  
“Just get us there.”  A blip appeared on the screen showing Yondu.  “Alright, ya blind idiot, we’ve got something’ here.  Pull up for me.”  
  
“Am I stopped?”  
  
“Just about,” Rocket said, tracking the movement.  “Whatever it is, hopefully it don’t see you.”  
  
They waited in tense silence.  
  
“Shit, rat, I’m bein’ hailed.”  
  
Rocket rubbed at his eyes.  “Okay.  Left hand, straight up, you’ll go past two clusters of controls, then to the right, flip on the comms.  They should feel like what you’re used to.”  
  
“An’ say what?”  
  
“I don’t know, that you felt like a joy ride?”  
  
“Is a new ship,” Kraglin pointed out.  
  
“Oh, _thanks,_ ” Yondu grumbled, but the comm link went quiet for a few moments.  
  
“If they realize who he is, do we go in?” Gamora asked.  
  
“No,” Peter said.  “Even if they realize he isn’t one of theirs, they might not realize he’s with us.  Our best bet is to wait until he’s past the net, destroy them, and get out of here.”  
  
The silence from Yondu stretched on and Rocket stared at the little dot on the screen.  
  
“Yeah they didn’t buy that,” Yondu’s voice crackled back on and his little dot started to move again.  “How much speed have I got in this?”  
  
“Well, there’s a turbo option...”  
  
“I like turbo.”  
  
“Bank right with your ring finger,” Rocket said, watching both Yondu and the other ship now.  “Now straighten back out.  Lock in forward thrust, move your left hand down from there one control set, then go right.  Turbo’s a smaller lever there.”  
  
“Found it,” Yondu said, then started laughing as the speed of his dot picked up.  “Damn this thing’s got good engines!  Can we keep it?”  
  
“Sure, if you want every Skrull in the galaxy to know where we are.”  
  
“Might be worth it...”  
  
Rocket rolled his eyes. “If it’s the turbo, I can build you a turbo.”    
  
“But can ya make it smell new?”  
  
“I’ll make it smell like the fuckin’ factory worker’s sandwich,” Rocket said.  “But you gotta get home alive first.”  
  
“How far?”  
  
“Four kliks,” Rocket said.  “Almost there.  ‘Mora--”  
  
“Ready on bay doors,” Gamora said.  
  
“Quill?”  
  
“Holding steady,” Peter said.  “As close to that net as I wanna get.”  
  
“Might not matter, if that tail’a yours sees us,” Yondu said.  
  
“Ain’t _my_ tail!” Rocket protested.  
  
“Yeah, yours is cuter,” Yondu said, sounding proud of himself.  
  
“‘Mora, go ahead and cancel on the bay doors--”  
  
“Aw, rat, I didn’t mean it!”  
  
“Gamora, stay ready on bay doors,” Peter said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “Don’t you two ever stop?”  
  
“Stop what?” Rocket asked.  
  
“Flirting,” Drax said. “It is all you ever do.”  
  
“Ain’t _all_ we do...”  
  
“Visual!” Peter said, sounding relieved.  “We’ve got visual on you, Yondu.”  
  
“And the tail.  Drax--”  
  
Drax was already on his way to the weapons station.  “If we can eliminate it, perhaps it will not alert the others to our presence.”  
  
“Probably already done but it’s worth a shot,” Peter said.  “How far, Rocket?”  
  
“Almost past the net,” Rocket said.  “Yondu, pull back on my signal, we’ll come to you.”  
  
“Can do,” Yondu said.    
  
Rocket watched, barely breathing, then shouted, “ _Now!_ ” and the rear thrusters fired on Yondu’s ship.  “Quill, go!”  
  
The Quadrant’s engines kicked to life and they moved towards Yondu.    
  
“Bay doors!” Peter said, and the Quadrant moved easily over Yondu a few moments later.    
  
“Someone go get him out and dump that thing!” Rocket barked, running over to join Drax on weapons.  
  
“On it,” Gamora said, and Rocket relaxed a little.  
  
When the ship was ejected and Yondu safely on board, they turned and fled the area.  They’d destroyed the chasing ship but there was almost no chance it hadn’t alerted the rest of the fleet.    
  
“You got it?” Rocket asked Peter.  
  
“I got it,” Peter said.  “Go check on him.”  
  
Rocket didn’t need to be told twice and he ran to intercept Gamora and Yondu on their walk to the medbay.  “So?” Rocket asked, and Yondu’s head turned towards him.  His eyes were closed and swollen.  “How bad is it?”  
  
“I am not yet sure,” Gamora said.    
  
Yondu held an arm out and Rocket grabbed hold, climbing up the front of his jacket.  Yondu lifted a hand, feeling around a bit until he found Rocket’s head and his fingers curled in Rocket’s fur.  Rocket licked his jaw.  
  
“We should not delay treatment,” Gamora said.  “We do not know what it is and time may be crucial.”  
  
“Yeah,” Rocket said, and climbed over to Yondu’s back.  He licked the man’s ear as he settled.  “I’ll getcha there.”  
  
“Know ya will,” Yondu said.  “Y’ always do.”


	25. Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E-ish  
> Words: 277  
> Warnings: Oral sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the start of this challenge, I gave myself one day to skip if I just couldn't bring myself to write or think of anything. This was that day. So instead, this is a scene I cut from Hour of Separation. It was originally at the start of 11 (the Yondu dies chapter), but I found I didn't like what it did to the emotional flow. So, here it is instead!

Rocket stretched as he woke up, feeling a sound in his throat that he refused to categorize as a purr.  There was a hand between his ears, scratching behind one of them, and another on his hip.  
  
“Ain’t you got watch?” Rocket asked, snuggling up with Yondu.  “Ship ain’t gonna keep itself.”  
  
“Swapped with Kraglin,” Yondu said.  “Didn’ feel like movin’.”  A finger traced down between Rocket’s legs.  
  
Rocket snorted.  “You’re a horny bastard, ya know?”  
  
“Look who’s talkin’,” Yondu said, and Rocket tried unsuccessfully to stop the whimper that the touch pulled from him when he felt the warmth of the Ravager’s skin against his.  
  
“Mm ... can you...” Rocket hummed, “...Do that thing?  With your mouth?”  
  
Yondu’s grin was clear in his voice.  “Really startin’ t’ like that, huh,” he said.  
  
“No shit,” Rocket said.  “That a surprise?”  
  
Yondu laughed.  “Nah.  ‘S pretty fun.”  
  
“Mhmm.”  Rocket rolled onto his back.  His eyes closed as he felt Yondu shift, and then the Ravager’s mouth was on his stomach and moving lower.  He put a hand on Yondu’s head, exhaling.  “This time could you ... not, y’know, stop?” He felt his face heat.  
  
Yondu paused, then his fingers brushed up and down.  Rocket groaned, pushing into the light touch.  “Ya wanna come in my mouth,” the Ravager said.  
  
Rocket’s eyes snapped open and he raised his head to stare at Yondu, who lifted an eyebrow in return.  “Uhm--” Rocket said.  
  
“I c’n do that,” Yondu said, smirking, and lowered his head.  
  
Rocket arched up and grabbed the fin, and very quickly lost himself.


	26. Squeak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M  
> Words: 795  
> Warnings: Blood, un-anesthetized minor medical procedure
> 
> Rocket has a small problem and Gamora checks up on him.

Rocket scowled up at the screen as he passed a scanner back and forth over his own arm, looking at the dried out ball joint in his elbow.   
  
“Hate when that happens.”   
  
Rocket sighed.  “Hey, ‘Mora.”  He put the scanner down and flexed his wrist.    
  
Gamora walked over and sat down, reaching out and looking at Rocket for permission.  Rocket nodded and she took his arm in hand, slowly lifting it while feeling his elbow with her fingers as the joint moved.   
  
“Does it hurt?” she asked.   
  
“Nah,” Rocket said.  “Just keeps squeaking.”  He made a face.  “At the worst times.”   
  
“There is a worst time for a joint to squeak?” Gamora asked, moving her fingers up.   
  
“When your husband can’t stop laughing when you’re giving him a handjob...”   
  
Gamora’s mouth twitched.  “That would be a worst time,” she agreed.  “Is it something you can fix easily?”   
  
“I gotta get the skin out of the way,” Rocket said.  “But once that’s done, yeah, it’s an easy lube job.”   
  
“That sounds painful.”   
  
“Yeah, well.”  Rocket pulled his arm out of her hands and shrugged.  “If you’re here, you might as well be useful.  Grab me a scalpel.”  She didn’t move right away and he glanced up to see a look he was all too familiar with.  “And don’t pity me for it!” he snarled at her.  “You ain’t got no fairy tale story either!”   
  
“I do not pity you, Rocket,” Gamora murmured, reaching for the scalpel.  “I am sad that this is something normal for you.”   
  
“Ain’t a difference.”  Rocket put the blade on the inside of his arm and braced himself, then pressed in.   
  
“I believe there is,” Gamora said.  She had pulled some bandages out and reached over to help Rocket with the blood.    
  
“Don’t feel like it,” Rocket muttered.  “Spreader.”   
  
Gamora passed it over.  “I cannot be sad for my friend that pain has been such a regular part of his life?”   
  
Rocket got his skin and muscle pushed aside, revealing the troublesome joint.  Gamora continued to soak up the blood until the work site was visible.  “Screwdriver,” Rocket said, and they worked together in silence after that except for Rocket’s occasional requests for tools and oil.   
  
When the joint was re-lubed, Rocket took the spreader out and handed it back to Gamora.  “You any good with stitches?” he asked.   
  
“I’ve done them a few times,” Gamora said.  “Would you like to be out for this part?”   
  
“Nah,” Rocket said.  “Hate feelin’ all groggy after.  Rather just get through it.”   
  
Gamora nodded and reached for a stitching kit.  She popped the lid open and pulled out the two kinds of thread and held them out for Rocket.  Rocket looked between them for a moment before pointing to one and settling back with his arm out.   
  
Gamora got the needle threaded quickly and started working.  “Did Yondu really laugh at you?”   
  
Rocket looked up with a frown.  “Well, yeah.”   
  
Gamora’s eyes narrowed.  “He should not laugh for something you cannot help, especially this.”   
  
“Oh, he didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”   
  
Gamora looked at him, then set the needle down.  “Rocket.  Even the people we love can hurt us, whether intentionally or not, whether we realize it or not.  Sometimes it is even harder to realize if it is someone we love.”   
  
Rocket stared at her.  “Hurt us?”   
  
“Laughing at your body modifications,” Gamora said, making Rocket frown.  “Does he do that often?”   
  
Rocket’s frown deepened, then his eyes widened and his ears perked.  “Oh!” he said.  “Oh, yeah, I get how that sounds.  But it really ain’t ... I mean, he don’t ... I couldn’t stop squeaking, he couldn’t stop farting ... some sex is doomed before it starts, y’know?”   
  
This time, Gamora couldn’t hide her smile and her shoulders even shook in a small laugh.  “I see,” she said, picking the needle back up for the remaining stitches.  “Well, you should not squeak anymore, but I cannot help with the other part.”   
  
“You could stop Quill from taking him bar hopping,” Rocket said.  Gamora tied the thread off and he flexed his wrist again, then tested the joint.  “His gut can’t handle that food anymore.”   
  
Gamora fixed him with a look.  “If I do, you owe me.”   
  
Rocket eyed her.  “Owe you what?”   
  
“A favor,” Gamora said, looking a touch too smug.  “I’ll decide later.”   
  
Rocket mulled it over for a few moments.  “Fine, deal,” he said, holding his hand out.   
  
Gamora took it for the handshake.  “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Rocket.”   
  
Rocket grinned.  “And you, Gamora.”


	27. Climb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Words: 451  
> Warnings: None
> 
> Groot is jealous of something Rocket does with Yondu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried my hand at a deep Groot conversation.

“I am Groot?” Groot asked.  
  
“Always,” Rocket said, tightening down a bolt.  “What’s up, old tree?”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said, smiling.  
  
“Yeah, well, you got old memories, anyway,” Rocket said with a bit of a sad smile as he remembered his friend.  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said.  “I _am_ Groot.”  
  
“How so?” Rocket asked, ears flicking up.  
  
“I ... am Groot?”  
  
Rocket paused, then put down his screwdriver and looked up.  “Climb on you?”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said.    
  
“Well, yeah,” Rocket said.  “Did a lot of things before, everything was different.”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said.  “I am Groot.”  
  
“You were too small,” Rocket said.  
  
“I am Groot.”  
  
Rocket nodded.  “True.  I guess I got outta the habit, Groot.”  
  
Groot tilted his head.  “I am Groot.”  
  
“I’m _married_ to Yondu.”  
  
“I am ... Groot?”  
  
Rocket froze, staring at Groot for a moment as his stomach turned to ice and the cold slammed through him.  “ _No_ ,” he said.  “Groot, no.  It’s different but it ain’t more.”  He got to his feet and put a hand on Groot’s leg.  “I didn’t realize you missed it.”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said.  “I am ... Groot.  I am Groot...”  
  
“Or...?” Rocket pressed.  
  
“I am Groot.”  
  
Rocket’s ears flinched back, but he scowled up at Groot.  “You listen,” he said.  “I know things was weird.  It’s weird when someone has all the memories of your best friend but he ain’t your best friend.  It’s weird watchin’ a new friend with old memories grow up from the body of your dead friend.  I know you ain’t the same.  It don’t mean I love you less, even if I climb on Yondu more than you.”  
  
“I am Groot?” Groot asked.  
  
Rocket tilted his head, then scampered up the Flora colossus’s frame, heading for the familiar perch of his shoulder.  “I’m sure,” he said.  “If it helps, I climb all over Yondu because I like the way he smells.”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said.  “I am Groot, I am Groot.”  
  
Rocket snorted.  “That’s one way to put it.”  He patted Groot’s neck.  “We okay, big guy?  I can climb you more if you want.”  
  
“I am Groot,” Groot said with a smile.  “I am Groot.”  
  
“Thanks, buddy,” Rocket said, curling up in the branches. 


	28. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Words: 920  
> Warnings: Canon-typical threats, drinking
> 
> Rocket gets an unexpected guest at the bar.

Rocket didn’t much care for being planet-side for very long.  He liked to be surrounded by the safety of a ship.  He knew most people felt safer on a planet with the atmosphere around them and the earth under their feet, but whether logical or not, he preferred his ships.  If the atmosphere started to leak from a planet, if the ground began to crack, he would be powerless to fix it.  He liked to have control over his world.  
  
That was probably why he was drinking, because they’d been docked in this trading port for three weeks waiting for a part for the Quadrant’s nav systems.  The irony was not lost on Rocket.  He couldn’t fix the ship that he preferred to be on because he knew how to fix it.   But the Quadrant had a truly marvelous nav system, in that it was marvelous it still worked.  For the Ravagers, absolute precision of navigation had never been the most important piece of their lives.  They knew their trade routes without the systems, and had enough experience on their crew to know the borders in their area of space with or without the nav system.  For the Guardians, who were tasked with an array of deeds while also carefully avoiding enemies, the variances were proving troublesome.  And they had been getting worse, which was why they were waiting at a neutral post for a part that, in Rocket’s opinion, was far overpriced.  
  
Still, he had to admit, he’d tried to fix it and failed, so it was only fair that he had to wait around feeling more restless every day.  At least there was plenty of liquor on this post.  
  
Someone sat down next to him.  He hadn’t smelled Yondu come into the bar so while he knew it wasn’t his Ravager, the scent was still strangely familiar.  
  
When he looked, he realized why.  
  
It _was_ a Ravager sitting there, just not one he’d encountered in person before.  Vid screens, yes.  In the same room?  Never before.  No one in their family felt all that kindly towards this man, save perhaps Yondu himself.  
  
“Stakar,” he greeted.  
  
“Rocket,” Stakar said, waving for two more shots to be brought over.  “I thought I recognized that pile of bolts docked out there.”  
  
“She ain’t a pile ‘a bolts no more,” Rocket said.  He eyed the shot that was put in front of him.  “I got her running like a brand new piece.”  
  
“So I heard,” Stakar said.  “Yondu doesn’t shut up about it.”  
  
Rocket’s heart did something funny.  “Yeah, well,” he muttered, face hot.  “It was a pretty impressive piece of work.”  
  
“I’ll say.”  Stakar gestured at Rocket’s untouched shot as he picked up his own.  “It’s on me.”  
  
“No strings?”  
  
“No strings,” Stakar said, and raised his shot before tipping it back.  
  
Rocket raised his in answer and was halfway through his swallow when Stakar spoke again.  
  
“Why Yondu?”  
  
Rocket choked and liquor burned her throat.  He coughed, glaring at Stakar.  “What?” he managed.  
  
Stakar shrugged.  “Everyone you could choose in this whole galaxy, why did you fall for Yondu?”  
  
Rocket wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, still glowering at the Ravager captain.  He caught the barkeep’s eye and gestured for two more shots, then leveled his gaze back at Stakar.  “I got a better question.  Why didn’t you?”  
  
Stakar’s eyes widened slightly.  “That isn’t...”  
  
“Yeah,” Rocket said, “It is.  You think it’s weird, and I could give two shits about what you think, but you keep away from Yondu with your judgmental crap.  He thinks the goddamn sun shines outta your ass, he don’t need to hear that you think he’s a freak.”  
  
“I don’t think he’s a freak,” Stakar said.    
  
“Sure, but he's fucking one, which is just as bad.”  
  
“Married, from what I heard,” Stakar said, and raised an eyebrow with a small smile when Rocket shot him a suspicious look.  “I’m not trying to call you a freak.”  
  
Rocket downed the second shot.  “So what are you trying?”  
  
“Yondu’s happy with you, happier than I’ve ever seen him,” Stakar said.  “I want to make sure it stays that way. That starts with knowing why him.”  
  
“Are you ... threatening me?” Rocket asked.  Something was making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.  
  
“Depends on what your answer is,” Stakar said.  
  
Rocket frowned.  “There’s a lotta reasons I fell for Yondu.  None of ‘em are your business.  An’ if you try to fuck with us because you think you’re doing him some kind of favor, I will kill you, unless Yondu kills you first.  Got it?” His teeth were bared, a growl was vibrating in his chest.  He’d just threatened one of the most powerful individuals in their part of the galaxy, and all he could think about was how _pissed_ he was.    
  
“Easy there,” Stakar said, chuckling.  “I know better than to mess with that.”  He stood.  “Your tab’s paid through the night.  I’ll send Yondu when he’s done visiting with the crew.  You watch after him, now.”  
  
“I always do,” Rocket said.  He watched Stakar go, then smiled to himself and waved the barkeep back over.  This place had some amazing looking century-old, vacuum-aged Asgardian mead that he was going to fully enjoy sampling.


	29. United

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> Words: 1290  
> Warnings: Heavy into the emotions in this one. Plus sex. 
> 
> Yondu's been thinking about what the future holds. It ain't Rocket's favorite.

“Y’know,” Yondu said, reclined in their bed with Rocket leaning back against his chest.  Rocket’s ears turned back towards him but he didn’t look up from his reading.  Yondu trailed one finger up Rocket’s ear.  “Ya might outlive me.”  
  
“Don’t talk stupid,” Rocket said.  
  
“Ain’t stupid,” Yondu murmured.  He sounded distant.  “‘S just true.  That doc thought ya might have a while yet.”  
  
“They don’t know everything.”  
  
“Seems right though,” Yondu said.  “Y’ain’t done much agin’ like me.”  
  
Rocket jerked his head away from Yondu’s petting.  “Stop it.”  
  
“Rocket...”  
  
“I said _stop it,_ ” Rocket snarled, setting his tablet aside and turning to face him.  “Why you talkin’ ‘bout it?  Ain’t your business to worry over!”  
  
The expression on Yondu’s face was strange.  “‘Course it is.”  
  
Rocket narrowed his eyes. “Why should it be?”  
  
“Why _wouldn’t_ it be?”  
  
“You won’t even be there!”  
  
“Tha’s the god damn point!”  
  
“So _why_ do you care!” Rocket shouted.  
  
“That’cha’d be alone?” Yondu shouted right back.  “Dammit, that scares the _hell_ outta me!”  
  
Rocket’s ears pinned back and he stared at Yondu for a moment before his gaze dropped.  “Me too,” he whispered.  Yondu’s hand curled around his neck and Rocket leaned into it for a moment, then shook himself.  “But it ain’t yours to worry over.”  
  
Yondu blew out a breath and his hand dropped.  “Fuck, Rocket.”  
  
“I mean it,” Rocket said.  He put a hand on Yondu’s chest and flexed his claws in.  “Whatever we got left, it’s what we got, okay?  I ain’t gonna spend it thinkin’ about what happens after.”  
  
“Can I say somethin’?” Yondu asked.  
  
Rocket frowned at him, then leaned in licked his collar.  “Yeah.”  
  
“Don’ wan’cha t’ be alone,” Yondu said.  His hand rested on the back of Rocket’s head and he tilted his own when Rocket licked again, baring his neck.  “I know I’m a catch ya can’t replace, but don’ close the world out.  Ya find someone else worth ya, don’ push ‘em away.”  
  
“That’s...” Rocket started, but he trailed off.  “I won’t,” he murmured.  
  
Yondu pressed his nose to the top of Rocket’s head and inhaled deeply.  Rocket shivered, then tugged at Yondu’s shirt.    
  
“Get this shit off,” he said.  “Wanna feel your skin.”  
  
When their clothes had been stripped away, Rocket climbed back to Yondu’s chest and licked at his mouth, his jaw, his neck.  Yondu’s hands circled around him, his thumbs brushing inward.  
  
“You ain’t goin’ anywhere tonight,” Rocket said, and pushed Yondu back.  He leaned in over him, licking at his neck while Yondu palmed at his cock.  It was part of their own version of making out, something Rocket treasured as just theirs, and he was happy to stay there while the scent of Yondu’s arousal grew heavy in the air.    
  
“C’mon,” Yondu finally murmured.  “C’mon, fuck me.”  
  
Rocket shivered and nodded. “Get yourself ready,” he said, voice low, as he slipped off Yondu’s chest and crawled down.  
  
Without being touched, Yondu’s cock was already hard and standing away from his body.  Rocket followed the trail of hair down Yondu’s belly with his nose while Yondu groped for the lube they kept by the bed, and when he came to the base of the Ravager’s cock his buried his nose his hair. It was just a little damp from sweat, thick with musk, and completely intoxicating.  But his cock was just too tempting to stay there for long and Rocket lifted his head to lick up the length.  Yondu groaned as he did, a sound that deepened when Rocket got to the head and circled it.  
  
Yondu’s hand moved near him, then between his legs, and a moment later his hips lifted as he started to work his fingers into himself.  Rocket lifted his head to watch but only a moment passed before Yondu grunted and his free hand turned Rocket’s head back.  Rocket smirked and returned to licking, listening as Yondu pushed his fingers in and out.  He imagined replacing them with his tongue.  
  
Then Yondu finished and his slick fingers found Rocket’s cock, making his breath hitch.  Yondu coated him as Rocket rocked into the loose grip, licking the entire time.  
  
“C’mon,” Yondu said again, pulling his hand away.    
  
When Yondu pulled his hand away, Rocket crawled around to get between his spread legs.  He licked the tip of his cock once more, teasing, getting a drop of precum on his tongue.  He enjoyed the way Yondu twitched from it and met the Ravager’s eyes as he pushed in.  
  
Yondu bit his lower lip and flexed his hips up.  “Feels good,” he murmured.    
  
“Don’t it always?”  
  
“Jus’ shut up an’ fuck me.”  
  
Rocket rocked his hips and watched Yondu’s hands fist into the sheets.  He leaned down with his next thrust to lick at his dripping cock, making Yondu twitch, and settled into a steady rhythm there.  It didn’t take long for Yondu’s hand to find his head and they moved together, quiet except for their panting breaths.  
  
“Rocket,” Yondu murmured.  “Tha’s it, Rocket, yes...”  
  
Rocket shuddered and grabbed at Yondu’s hip.  “Yondu--”  
  
Yondu cursed as he came, getting on both of them, and Rocket knew he would only be able to last for a few more moments.  He savored every one of them as they united, bodies pressing, Yondu around him and under him, shaking and lost in his ecstasy.  
  
He was just starting to come when he heard it:  “ _I love ya._ ”  
  
Rocket’s eyes snapped open and he choked, but his body seized and he could only hold on as he came.  He sagged when it was over, panting and trembling, and stared up at Yondu.  “I...” he said, then scowled and looked down.  “Idiot,” he muttered.  
  
Yondu’s gaze was soft and he brushed his fingers along the side of Rocket’s face.  “I know,” he said.  “C’mere.”  
  
Rocket pulled out and crawled up to Yondu’s chest, settling with his head tucked against his neck. “Don’t do that,” he said.  
  
“What, say I...” Yondu’s breath caught for a moment and Rocket felt his heartbeat speed up--or was it his own?  “Say I love ya?”  
  
“Say it like you’re sayin’ goodbye.”  
  
“Ah, rat,” Yondu murmured.  “That ain’t it.  ‘S long overdue.”  
  
“You don’t get to do it like that,” Rocket said.  “Not after sayin’ you’re gonna die.”  
  
He heard Yondu sigh, felt the hand on the back of his neck tighten.   When he spoke, Yondu’s voice was quiet.  “So when do I?”  
  
Rocket couldn’t answer him; he didn’t trust his voice to not break.  
  
The silence stretched on.  
  
“Rat?”  
  
Rocket took a breath, shaky.  “When you feel _alive_.”  
  
He felt Yondu’s chest move in a short, silent laugh.  “Okay,” Yondu said.  “When I feel alive, then.”  He rubbed the back of Rocket’s neck and pressed his nose to the top of Rocket’s head.  “Rat,” he murmured against Rocket’s fur, “I love ya.”  
  
Rocket’s heart pounded in his ears and his next breath came as a gasp.  “Yondu--”  
  
“Feel alive when I’m with ya,” Yondu murmured.  “So tha’s it.  I love ya.”  
  
“ _Yondu..._ ”  
  
“‘S okay,” Yondu said, kissing the top of Rocket’s head.    
  
Rocket held onto him.  “Idiot.”  
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said, and Rocket could hear the smile in his voice.  “I know.”


	30. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E for themes  
> Words: 2592  
> Warnings: Experimentation on a person (referenced), blackmail, kidnapping, torture, blast from Rocket's past, moral ambiguity, canon-typical violence, disturbing theme, implied accusations of bestiality
> 
> It's harder to destroy an idea than Rocket realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish this piece was as epic as the warnings probably make it sound. This one is really getting back to my original wheelhouse, this particular trope featured often in my early work. It was fun and very self-indulgent to return to. I kept coming back to it and poking at it, and I might get it more fleshed out someday because there is a lot more that could happen here. Real life got busy and in the way for now.

“After all this time, I finally found you.”  
  
The words echoed, making Rocket curse under his breath.  Drugged.  Why was it always drugged? Drugged and stripped, if the air current on his fur was any indicator.  
  
“Th’ fuck are you,” he mumbled, taking stock of his position before he opened his eyes.  He was hanging from his wrists, his ankles were tied.  At least the pull of the ties told him he was upright, because the pounding in his head wasn’t much indicator. The worst part, whatever he’d been drugged with was fucking with his sense of smell. The sharp pinch in his hand when he tugged also suggested an IV.  That was going to have to go.  
  
“The speech _is_ real,” the voice said, wonderingly.  “Incredible.”  
  
Rocket sighed to himself and opened his eyes.  Humanoid.  Bright orange, hairless, and _staring_ at Rocket in a way that would have made the hair on the back of his neck raise up if it wasn’t already.  Eyes roving, up and down like he was...  
  
Everything stopped when Rocket’s gaze moved to the right and he saw what was hanging there.  
  
His fucking _husband_ , naked to the waist and bound up by the wrists like him, head hanging forward.  He still had his arrow holster, and the end of the arrow was visible.  His fin looked intact, but Yondu himself was unconscious.  Rocket felt his lips pull back.  
  
The man followed his gaze, then looked back.  “That’s incredible,” he said.  “ _Attachment_.”  
  
“What are you, a fucking groupie?” Rocket snarled, attention going back to the threat.  
  
“I am a _student_.  For years, I had only one goal, to recover the rumored Subject 89P13.”  
  
Rocket thought he saw movement in Yondu’s hands, but he didn’t want to give it away by looking, so he looked around the room instead.  Standard lab room.  A counter with a sink, biohazard disposal, storage drawers.  There were folders on the counters, and a used-looking journal.  On the wall to his left was a window, set higher than his captor’s head.  They were probably in a basement level.  Cobwebs hung in the corners, and the biohazard label was outdated.  The door looked heavy, but due to a cord running under it, it wasn’t latched.  That cord ran up to the main light.  Probably from a generator.  Rocket looked up.  The hooks he and Yondu were hanging from were attached to ceiling tracks.  “I ain’t exactly a secret.”  
  
“Within the scientific community, your true origins are highly debated.  Some say you’re a hoax.  But I believed, I always believed.”  The man’s eyes were far too bright.  “I never gave up on my mentor.”  
  
“I know you ain’t talkin’ about Lockcheck,” Rocket said.  “That _freak_ didn’t have students.”  
  
“You could only wish to be what he intended for you,” the man said.  “All the plans he had.”  
  
“I made sure those records were destroyed.”  
  
The man chuckled.  “You think some didn’t survive?  Ever since I first read his synopsis I’ve dreamed of finding you and showing the world.  He never got the chance to.  People will have to take his work seriously now.  You are the _ultimate_ field test.”  
  
“Go fuck yourself.”  
  
“The detail,” the man said, gazing at Rocket and shaking his head.  “It’s incredible.  If the stories are true, you have done much since your dramatic exit.  Tell me, what achievement are you proudest of?”  
  
“Go. Fuck. Yourself,” Rocket snarled.  
  
The man regarded him, then turned towards Yondu and pulled something from his pocket.  “He responded quite violently when we inserted your IV and had to be subdued.  Perhaps we should wake him and see if the reverse is true.”  
  
Rocket realized what the thing was in the man’s hand a moment too late, and shouted as the shock stick was jammed under Yondu’s ribs.  A muffled shriek tore its way from Yondu’s mouth and his body seized up, shaking, and when his head snapped back Rocket saw another problem.  
  
Yondu had been gagged.  That answered why he hadn’t used his arrow, at least. His eyes popped wide and found Rocket.  
  
“ _Stop it!_ ” Rocket shouted.  
  
The shock stick was pulled away and the man turned back to Rocket.  “True attachment,” he said, sounding amazed.  “Or what must feel like it to you.”  
  
Rocket stared at him, heart pounding, and made a decision.  “Promise me you won’t hurt him, and I’ll answer all your questions.”  
  
The man regarded him.  “What is he to you?”  
  
Rocket reeled back.  “What?”  
  
“This man, what is he to you?”  
  
Rocket swallowed.  He didn’t mean to, but he glanced to Yondu, who met his eyes for a moment, then closed his and bowed his head.  Rocket’s breath hitched and he looked back to their captor.  “He’s my husband.”  
  
The man blinked.  “You aren’t a person, you can’t marry.”  
  
“He’s my _fucking_ husband!” Rocket snarled, pulling at the ties on his wrists.    
  
“Fascinating,” the man murmured.  He put the shock stick back into his pocket and went to the counter, picking up the journal and opening it to the middle.  He put the pen to the paper and looked back at Rocket.  “And what would you say you feel for him?”  
  
Rocket felt his heart rate pick up and he looked back at Yondu, who was keeping his head lowered.  He swallowed.  “I--” His mouth went dry.      
  
The man’s hand drifted towards his pocket.     
  
“I love him!” Rocket blurted.  
  
The man’s hand stopped, and he peered at Rocket.  “Well that can’t be right.”  
  
“Why the _fuck_ not?” Rocket snarled.    
  
“I’ve seen your design,” the man said, shaking his head.  “You may think you feel love, but you can’t.  It wasn’t programmed into your cognition.  I’m not sure _what_ you’re feeling exactly, but I can assure you it isn’t love.  I can’t even begin to tell you what it means to my research that you think you do, though.  Tell me, is your ... arrangement ... consummated?”  
  
“Yeah, the _marriage_ is consummated, you sick freak,” Rocket snapped, baring his teeth.  
  
“ _Fascinating._ The appearance of a full life with both romantic and sexual inclinations.  I would hypothesize that your apparent natural aggression is linked into the same hormonal base that drives the sexual urges.”  The man tapped his pen on the paper.  “Ironic, that the original research team actually undid their own work in a way.  Sterilizing you only to reintroduce some of those hormones artifically, creating an even more temperamental nature.”  He started writing.  “Self-described ... romantic ... and sexual ... urges,” he murmured to himself.  “Quick to aggression--”  
  
“You strung me up and tortured my husband,” Rocket said.  “That _might_ explain the aggression.”

  
“An excellent point,” the man said.  “Of course, with such ground-breaking work, there will always be controversy.  Further testing should help clarify.”  
  
“You ain’t got a control group.”  
  
The pen started moving again.  “Aware of the basic scientific principals under which he is being examined, results should be treated cautiously.”  The man looked up.  “You will be your own control.  I intend to provide a variety of stimuli under different circumstances to measure your responses.  Seeing how you have changed from your original laboratory state will be most interesting.  But do forgive me, I am getting sidetracked, there is just so much to consider!  Do you find during sex that your higher brain functions are less accessible?”  
  
Rocket stared at him.  “Are you some kind of animal perv, or what?”  
  
“Goodness no!” The man looked affronted.  “I am a scientist!  I merely believe that engaging a much more primal part of your brain may cause behavior changes.  The same question could be asked of fighting.  So do you find them less accessible?”  
  
Rocket swallowed and looked between the pocket where the shock stick was and Yondu.  “No,” he said.  
  
“Good, thank you,” the man said, jotting something down.  “Of course we will want to test that, once I figure out proper parameters.  Perhaps a probe of some kind.  You’re such a fascinating thing, I can’t wait to really get started.  Do you find members of species other than your own sexually attractive, even without an emotional connection?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“When did you first realize this?”  
  
Rocket frowned.  “‘Bout when I got out.”  
  
“So around age four.  Do you think your age had anything to do with it, or was it your environment?”  
  
“Oh, you mean not being surrounded by dicks in labcoats torturing me?  Yeah that might have been it.”  
  
“Mhmm, mhmm ... I see.  Oh, so many questions, so many aspects to study.  I will have to rework my research plans with this new information, though I’m sure this won’t be the last time that will happen.  And of course we will need to decide what to do with your, ah, companion.  I’m sure a case study into the kind of person who would be interested in a creature like yourself could prove insightful.”  
  
“He ain’t like that,” Rocket growled.  
  
“There must be some sort of fetish, or perhaps a delusion, or other mental instability,” the man hummed as he jotted down more notes.  “Certainly there is something abnormal occurring.”  
  
Rocket bared his teeth.  “You leave him out of this, _I’m_ the experiment.  And besides--” Rocket stopped, ears perking as he realized something.  “I may not be a legal person, but _he is_.  You can’t keep him here, and if you do, you can’t publish any work with him in it, or you’ll be discredited.”  
  
The man frowned and looked up.  “Hm.”  
  
“I’m the experiment,” Rocket said again.  “Legally I’m just a thing, he ain’t.”  
  
“I suppose I could charge him for theft ... Maybe even destruction of property, depending on the results of your physical examin--”  
  
A whistle cut him off, but only a moment before an arrow through his head finished the job.  
  
Rocket sagged and realized he was shaking.  He looked over and saw Yondu had actually chewed through his gag and was spitting the pieces out still.    
  
“I don’t know where we are.”  
  
“Me neither,” Yondu grunted.  He whistled again, taking the arrow through the bonds on Rocket’s ankles, then the IV line, then the ties on his wrists.  Rocket dropped to the floor and tore out the needle from his hand. As he did, he saw a shaved patch of fur on his arm.  
  
**89P13**  
  
The tattoo stood out from his skin and he stared for a moment, then shook himself and bounded over to Yondu, who was working on breaking his own bonds now.  “Do you remember anything?”  
  
Yondu shook his head.  “Remember walkin’ back from the bar, then I woke up here an’ saw ‘im trussin’ ya up.”  
  
“Did he know who you are?” Rocket asked.  “Is that why he gagged you?”  
  
“Think that was dumb luck,” Yondu said.  “No mentions of bounties or the Kree.”  He got loose, dropped down, and immediately went to his knees and grabbed Rocket, pulling him close.  “Y’ ain’t their thing,” he said, fiercely.  “Y’ain’t their thing, y’ain’t an experiment.”  
  
“I know,” Rocket said.  His voice was steady, but he was still shaking.  Drug hangover, maybe, or shock wearing off.  He kept his nose against Yondu’s neck, drinking in the smell and the feel of his heartbeat.  “We gotta get out of here.”  
  
“If we’re lucky this freak was alone,” Yondu said.    
  
“It’s an old lab,” Rocket said, looking up and around.  Now that he could see the back half of the room, his suspicions were even more confirmed.  The equipment there was outdated, with a logo that hadn’t been manufactured for a few decades.  “Maybe an abandoned hospital.”  He looked back to the door.  “We follow his power hook up, we find his supplies, we get the fuck out.”  
  
“An’ Imma kill anyone who gets in our way.”  
  
Rocket looked up at him and couldn’t stop his smile.  He licked Yondu’s neck, then jerked his head.  “Alright, let’s get out of here.”

* * *

“Hey, Rocket, you got a message in today’s batch,” Peter said over the comms.  “Want me to send it your way?”  
  
“Sure,” Rocket said, pulling out his tablet.  “Thanks, Quill.”  
  
“No problem, man.”  
  
Rocket saw the message come through and opened it, then frowned when he saw the sender.  “What the fuck?”  
  
“Wassat?” Yondu asked.  
  
“It’s from Nova Prime,” Rocket said, tilting his head.  
  
Yondu got up and came over.  “Wha’s it say?”  
  
“Not sure,” Rocket murmured, and opened it.  
  
Nova Prime’s face filled the screen and Rocket felt Yondu settle behind him.  He leaned back, relaxing there.  
  
“Rocket, of the Guardians of the Galaxy,” Nova Prime began.  “This message is in regards to the recent criminal case that was opened against Giovento Chegar, a former medical student at the University of Intergalactic Medicine.  As you are aware, he was killed during an altercation in which you were involved and charges were brought by his family.  You have, of course, been cleared of any wrongdoing, as has Yondu Udonta.”  Her eyes seemed to look right into Rocket’s.  “Due to the high profile nature of this case and those involved, the evidence was presented to and reviewed by the Galactic Council.  The recovered footage led us to realize that there has been a grievous oversight in regards to your legal status.  After a unanimous decision, it is my greatest pleasure to inform you that your legal status has been changed to an independent person, effective immediately.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office directly.  Thank you for your service.”    
  
Her face vanished, leaving only the Xandarian symbol.  
  
Rocket didn’t see it.  His breath was coming a little too fast.  
  
“‘Bout time,” Yondu said, but his voice was soft, floating over Rocket’s consciousness.    
  
Rocket sagged back.  “My name,” he said, staring straight ahead.  “I can change my name.”  
  
“Whaddya need?”  
  
“It’s just forms,” Rocket said.  “I tried it before, but...”  He realized he was clutching his tablet and forced himself to let go.    
  
“No,” Yondu said.  “Whaddya need?”  
  
Rocket looked up at him, staring for a moment.  “I need ... I need, I ... I don’t know.  Just, a minute, I think.”  
  
Yondu nodded and gathered Rocket up into his arms, holding him tightly.  “‘M happy for ya, rat,” he murmured.  
  
“Me too,” Rocket said, and even though the words felt strange to say, they gave him a thrill.  
  
“We could get real married now.”  
  
Rocket pulled away, giving him an affronted look.  “You sayin’ we ain’t real married?”  
  
“I’m sayin’ it’s a good excuse for a real honeymoon,” Yondu said, grinning.  
  
Rocket grinned back.  “Knew there was a reason I married you the first time.”  
  
“I thought it was because ‘a my good looks,” Yondu said.  
  
“No, that was me,” Rocket said, poking Yondu’s chest.    
  
“Y’are a pretty good lookin’ person,” Yondu said, eyes warm, and for a moment Rocket felt his breath catch and his heart skip, and then he turned and tackled Yondu onto his back.  He was licking at Yondu’s neck, his jaw, his ear, _everywhere_ , and in that moment, decided that this was what _joy_ felt like.


	31. Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T-ish  
> Words: 926  
> Warnings: Fluff
> 
> Truer words never spoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, ending them on a fluff note. They deserve nothing less <3
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading, I can't tell you how much it has meant to see this little pairing start to grow. It has truly been my pleasure to work with them and explore this fandom.

“Y’know, kinda looks like ya have a mask on,” Yondu said, head tilted as he looked at Rocket.  “Anyone ever toldja that before?”  
  
Rocket stared at him.  “...How long we been married?”  
  
“Dunno, while?”  
  
“And you’re just noticing this?”  
  
“I never noticed the mask part before!” Yondu rolled his eyes.  “Maybe it’s ‘cause them white parts is gettin’ whiter.”  
  
“Why would they do that?”  
  
‘Cause yer goin’ gray,” Yondu said, grinning.  
  
Rocket glared at him.  “I am not getting gray, shut up.”  
  
Yondu shrugged, looking pleased.  “So _has_ anyone ever noticed it before?”  
  
“Of course they have,” Rocket said.  “Apparently it’s some kind of thing on Terra, too.”  He snorted.  “It looks stupid.”  
  
“Aw, I don’ think it’s stupid,” Yondu said. “Looks good.  Real fittin’.”  
  
“Yeah, well, I think it looks stupid, and it’s _my_ face.”  
  
“I’m the one what’s gotta look at it!” Yondu protested, making a quick move towards Rocket that was easily dodged.    
  
“Gotta move faster, old man,” Rocket teased, and easily dodged the next two grabs before Yondu finally got him and pinned him, and then started tickling.  
  
“It don’t look stupid,” Yondu said again.  
  
“Yes--ahaha--yes, it does!” Rocket said, squirming as he laughed.  “Hehehe--it’s--ack, stop, that tickles, haha!”  He held out for a few more moments.  “Star-Lord, Star-Lord!”  
  
Yondu stopped immediately upon Rocket speaking the safe word, giving him a small smile as Rocket caught his breath, giggling the entire time.  “Alrigh’?” he asked when Rocket’s breath had evened back out.  
  
“Yeah,” Rocket said, eyes half lidded and smiling as he looked up at Yondu.  He sighed happily, then murmured, “I love you.”  
  
Yondu froze, and a moment later, so did Rocket as he realized what he’d said.  His ears went back and his eyes widened as he stared.  
  
Yondu stared back.    
  
“So...?” Rocket finally asked.  
  
“So?”  
  
“You gotta say it back,” Rocket said, voice small.  “Or it don’t ... it ain’t...”  
  
“Oh!” Yondu shook his head.  “Right.  Yeah.  I was jus’ ... ’s jus’...”  
  
“Just what?”  
  
Yondu glanced away and his cheeks flushed a darker blue.  ”’S jus‘...” He looked back at Rocket and brushed his thumb across his cheek. “Now I know what it means when folk say they know they’re gonna die happy.”  
  
Rocket’s eyes widened.  “I ... I’m sorry, I didn’t...”  
  
Yondu frowned.  “Why sorry?”  
  
“It took me so long...”  
  
“Uh-uh,” Yondu said.  “Don’chu ever apologize ta me for that.  Ya don’t owe me anything.  Ya don’t owe no one anything.”  
  
“‘Course I owe you something,” Rocket said.  “You put up with me, don’t you?”  
  
Yondu shook his head with a huffed laugh. “Rat,” he said, “‘S the other way ‘round.”  
  
Rocket just looked at him for a moment, then pressed up and licked his cheek.  
  
“‘Sides,” Yondu murmured, “Ya told me plenty.  Don’ gotta sound the same t’ be what it is.”  
  
Rocket looked away, smiling a little.  “Idiot.”  
  
“‘Zactly,” Yondu said, grinning, before he turned Rocket’s face back.  “Love ya,” he murmured, and Rocket’s breath caught in the stupid cliche way it always did when he heard those words.  “Ain’t never gonna get tired of sayin’ that.”  
  
Rocket finally relaxed the rest of the way.  “Feels good to say.”  
  
“Yeah,” Yondu said, kissing his forehead.  “I thought so too.”  
  
“Then, I love you,” Rocket murmured, looking right into Yondu’s eyes as he said it.  “Even if you are an idiot.”  
  
Yondu chuckled.  “A damn lucky idiot who found the best smartass in the galaxy.”  
  
“I love you,” Rocket said again, and it made Yondu’s eyes go bright and the Ravager started blinking quickly.  
  
“I lova ya too,” Yondu said, quiet, sounding like he was having to work to keep his voice steady.  “Wouldn’t be nothin’ without’cha.”  
  
“What is this, a mush fest?” Rocket asked, but he was already leaning in to lick at Yondu’s neck.  “I love you,” he said, a third time, just because he could and to hear how it sounded.  He felt Yondu’s shiver.  
  
“Keep that up an’ I’m gonna wan’cha mouth doin’ somehin’ else,” Yondu said.  
  
“Yeah?” Rocket dared him.  
  
“Hm, yeah,” Yondu said, then flopped down next to him.  “But maybe after a nap.”  
  
“Ha!  Now who’s goin’ gray?”  
  
“Ah, I went gray forever ago and ya know it,” Yondu grumbled.  “No need ta rub it in.”  
  
Rocket snuggled up with him.  “Sorry.  Don’t you go spreadin’ this around, y’know.”  
  
Yondu snorted.  “What, that my husband loves me?”  
  
“Yeah, that,” Rocket said, punching Yondu’s arm.  
  
Yondu elbowed him back, then kissed the top of his head.  “Don’cha worry none, I wouldn’t dream of it.”  
  
Rocket licked his neck.  “Love you, ya blue idiot.”  
  
“Love ya, ya smartass rat.”  
  
Rocket tucked himself against Yondu.  He wasn’t sure what time they had left, or what it would hold, but he knew he had this moment, and would savor as many more as they got.  
  
He could feel Yondu’s heartbeat, smell the very essence of him all around, and when he tilted his head back to look up, red eyes were crinkled up in a smile.  
  
“I...” Rocket said, then smiled and tucked his head back down.  A hand settled behind his ears and scratched.    
  
There was no need for any words, not anymore.    
  
There never really had been.  
  
Rocket closed his eyes and smiled.


End file.
